Summer in Jackson Hole symbolizes a lot of things: Long days in the mountains, dusty mountain bike shuttles, floating on lakes at sunset, backyard barbecues, campfires, music, weddings, wildflowers, whitewater, and fireworks.
For Teton County Search & Rescue’s 39 volunteers, summer also evokes the first-responder trifecta of vigilance, anxiety, and adrenaline. Especially on July 4.
Since 2017, TCSAR has responded to 45 swiftwater incidents. Five of those occurred on the Fourth of July. Three of those calls ended with fatalities.
None of the people who died were wearing life jackets.
Incident data shows us trends we have to pay attention to: People see the river as a place to have fun before they see it as an environment that's actively trying to kill them.
At Backcountry Zero, the education arm of the Teton County Search & Rescue Foundation, we intend to create a culture of accountability on the river.
"We want to see a community of river ambassadors who know what to look out for and how to take action when something is trending from fun to reckless to dangerous," says Maddie Johnson, TCSAR Foundation's Prevenative Search & Rescue Manager.
July 4 makes TCSAR volunteers nervous for a reason. Our swiftwater safety messaging will inevitably miss some people, but this year we’re approaching our prevention efforts with a tone of ‘friends don’t let their friends be irresponsible on the river.’
We can all have fun on the river, just be safe about it. Please wear a properly fitting life jacket, avoid excessive drinking, and have the skills to pilot your vessel. Photo: TCSAR
So far this year, our community has already seen three swiftwater incidents on the Snake River. All three occured during high flows earlier this summer, but dangers still lurk even after runoff. Our rivers run swift and cold and contain hazardous undercurrents and debris that you can't see.
Combine this with the classic summer cocktail of visitors, newly purchased inner tubes, alcohol, cliff jumping, and forgotten PFDs, and you have a recipe for high frequency, high consequence incidents. Cue our first responders keeping their pagers close.
Orion Hatch of the Snake River Fund reminds us, "There's nothing more tragic than a fatal accident that feels preventable."
This swiftwater season, be prepared, practiced and present on the water, and please be an ambassador for responsible recreation.