TCSAR Completes Two Rescues, Involving Multiple Agencies, on February 22

On Thursday, February 22, Teton County Search & Rescue responded to two calls that involved multiple agencies across the county: The first was for an injured snowboarder in the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort backcountry, and the second for an injured snowmobiler in the Togwotee Pass area.

The TCSAR helicopter comes in for a landing during a rescue on Togwotee Pass, on February 22, 2024. Photo: TCSAR

The initial call came in at 11:49 a.m. and concerned a 46-year-old female snowboarder who was injured to the south of JHMR. The woman had crashed on her snowboard between the two bootpacks that lead to an area known as Four Pines. JHMR Ski Patrol responded and provided initial patient care. Once on scene, patrol requested helicopter assistance from TCSAR, which flew to the accident site and landed near the patient. The team loaded her internally into the ship and flew back to the TCSAR hangar where she was transferred to a waiting ambulance with Jackson Hole Fire/EMS.

TCSAR’s second call of the day occurred at 1:54 p.m. A 19-year-old male sustained injuries after crashing his snowmobile into a tree on the K Trail, which is east of Mount Leidy. TCSAR again fired up the ship and flew to Windy Point in Grand Teton National Park to pick up two rangers who would assist in the rescue. Also on board were the pilot and one TCSAR volunteer. With inclement weather moving in and out of the area, TCSAR dispatched additional teams on snowmobiles in case the heli had to be grounded. Additionally, a USFS ranger dispatched on a snowmobile toward the accident.

The ship found a weather window and landed near the injured snowmobiler at approximately 3:20 p.m. Rescuers then loaded the patient into the helicopter for transport to a landing zone (LZ) and GTNP ambulance at the USFS Blackrock Ranger Station.

On busy days like this, it’s important to recognize and give thanks to the multiple partnering agencies across Teton County who help the team respond to rescues, as well as the families and partners of TCSAR volunteers who scramble to hold down the fort while their loved ones go into the field. We appreciate you.

Old Bill's Giving Season: 30 years of Being Rescue Ready

With Old Bill’s Giving Season on us, it's important to reflect on the values that have been baked into 30 years of Teton County Search & Rescue. A particularly important one is doing whatever it takes to help someone get out of the backcountry alive. Back in the early days of TCSAR, volunteers often used whatever tools they had available—including their own snowmobiles. 

"I was the motorhead of the team, so I was more into using the snowmachine," says John Davidson, a TCSAR volunteer for 16 years, starting with the team in 1995. "We could pack some gear in, tow a toboggan behind us, and then tow you out to an ambulance."

"It was pretty common for the team to use snowmobiles for rescues back then," he says. "We didn’t always have access to a helicopter, and the weather wasn't always good. When we could get a helicopter, it was a race to see if we could get there before they could."

John Davidson responds to a backcountry emergency in the mid 1990s. Photo: TCSAR Archive

Being well-versed in snowmachines remains critically important for TCSAR. Fast forward three decades to the winter of 2022-23, and the team responded to 18 rescue calls for lost or injured snowmobilers.

Here are a couple of things to remember about donating to TCSAR during Old Bill's:

• TCSAR volunteers respond to more than 100 calls every year, with 120-plus coming in the last two consecutive years.
  

• In order to stay Rescue Ready, TCSAR volunteers need your support to conduct all kinds of different training and rescue scenarios, like snowmobile training and avalanche rescue training. That hasn't changed since John Davidson helped train up less experienced riders three decades ago.
  

• We all stand on the very strong and capable shoulders of those who came before us. 

Thank you for supporting TCSAR—then and now.

Back-to-Back Heli Rescues for TCSAR on March 18

Jackson, Wyo. — Teton County Search & Rescue utilized its helicopter to perform back-to-back rescues on Saturday, March 18.

In the first, a witness called 911 at roughly 1:30 p.m. Saturday after watching a skier fall about 700 feet down Central Couloir on Cody Peak. Central is a highly visible and extremely steep, technical ski descent in the backcountry south of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. In order to access it, one must exit the resort gates, climb the ridge of Cody Peak before dropping into the couloir from the summit.

A skier carefully descends Central Couloir in the JHMR backcountry after his partner fell, requiring a TCSAR rescue. Photo: TCSAR

Ski patrollers and TCSAR volunteers help carry a patient to the rescue ship in Cody Bowl on March 18. Photo: TCSAR

The skier, a woman from Salt Lake City, lost her balance about halfway down the couloir. She tumbled down the couloir and over a cliff band at the bottom, sustaining multiple injuries. Her partner, a man from Victor, Idaho, was still up in the couloir.

JHMR ski patrol were first on scene while TCSAR mobilized a response with a team in the helicopter. The helicopter was able to land in Cody Bowl, where ski patrollers and SAR members helped load the patient inside the ship. Then, she was flown to a landing zone (LZ) and waiting ambulance at the base of Teton Village.

The woman’s partner was able to collect her skis still in the couloir. He pitched them over the cliff at the bottom before he jumped the mandatory exit cliffs to the field of snow below. He was able to ski out of the backcountry on his own power.

TCSAR is grateful for the partnership with JHMR Ski Patrol for the seamless response to help this skier get the help she needed.

The Teton Village landing zone and coordinated partnerships help TCSAR successfuly close rescue calls. Photo: TCSAR

Just after 3 p.m. on Saturday, TCSAR was contacted by Bonneville County Idaho SAR for a helicopter assist of a missing snowmobiler in the Palisades area of the Snake River Mountains. A 50-year-old man had gone missing after riding his snowmobile up Pole Canyon, outside of Victor, Idaho, on Friday and had not been seen or heard from since. Teton County Idaho SAR was involved in the hours-long search on snowmobiles. Air Idaho, a private helicopter ambulance, joined the search from the air.

TCSAR’s heli team searched for more than two hours from the air. The team eventually spotted the man; he was alive but stuck in extreme terrain. The heli landed and volunteers were able to reach him and help him board the ship for a flight out of the backcountry. TCSAR’s heli team was able to get back to the hangar in Jackson at 7:15 p.m., about 20 minutes before sunset.

TCSAR appreciates the coordination from the different SAR teams and agencies involved to help find this missing snowmobiler and get him back to safety. These incidents underscore the importance of having a life-saving rescue helicopter available at a moment’s notice. TCSAR currently leases its ship for eight months per year. Given the increased rate of rescues, the team is presently trying to raise enough money to purchase a year-round SAR helicopter for Teton County. Learn more about this effort here.