Honoring Ray Shriver: Father, Loving Partner, Adventurer, Mountaineer, Mentor, Dog Handler

February 15 is a somber day for Teton County Search & Rescue volunteers. On this day in 2012, founding TCSAR member Ray Shriver tragically died in a helicopter crash during a rescue mission. 

On the anniversary of his passing, we commemorate Ray's life and legacy, and keep his family in our thoughts and prayers. It's important that our community never forget his invaluable contributions to TCSAR, and how he made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of others.

This year, we want to share a poem from TCSAR volunteer Terri Romanowski. The day after the crash, Terri did the only thing she could think of to make sense of the tragedy. She sat down and put the below words to paper as a way of honoring her friend and mentor.

You can learn more about Ray and his legacy by visiting the Shriver Society, which was created in his honor.

From wherever you are, please join us in giving thanks to Ray for helping make TCSAR what it is today.

Last night we lost a great friend,
a rescuer through and through right to the end.

Ray not only was a rescuer but a K9 extraordinaire,
he taught and mentored many, leaving none to spare.

Yesterday, they received the call sending them out,
gathering equipment, through the door they were en route.

When life hangs in the balance needing critical care,
these selfless providers quickly took to the air.

Trained for the work, with skills tried and true,
spending endless hours without pay, to deal with all the rescues they attend to.

Deep down we know there’s always a chance a member may not come home,
the mission yesterday was his last to be flown.

On the way to seek additional help something went terribly wrong,
now we gather together and try to stay strong.

This goes to all the red coats and first responders of the Valley,
who never, ever fail to rally.

Putting others first, helping their neighbors through the worst,
risking their lives each and every day,
keeping most from harm’s way.

Selflessly our service to community is our reward,
unfortunately at times it can also be our sword.

—Terri Romanowski, SAR #25,
TCSAR volunteer since 2001, pictured below with
Ray Shriver and search dog Kita.

TCSAR Stays Busy with Two Rescues in Three Days

Two rescues in three days has kept Teton County Search & Rescue volunteers busy. Following trends from the past 5-10 years, February is typically one of the busiest months of the year for TCSAR.

At approximately 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 8, TCSAR was notified of three snowboarders stranded out of bounds in the Grand Targhee backcountry. The group—one adult male, one 18-year-old female, and one 16-year-old male—was uninjured, but unable to return to the resort or find a safe descent through complex terrain. They were reportedly not carrying backcountry safety equipment.

Teton County Search & Rescue short-hauls a snowboarder from steep, complex terrain in Teton Canyon, Wyoming. Photo: TCSAR

Grand Targhee Ski Patrol made initial contact and requested helicopter assistance due to the steep terrain. The TCSAR pilot and short-haul team flew in, extricating two members first, then returning for the third snowboarder and a TCSAR volunteer. All were flown to the Teton Canyon Trailhead (pictured) before the team refueled in Driggs and returned to Jackson.

TCSAR appreciates the coordination and efforts from Grand Targhee Ski Patrol to help resolve this incident.

On Monday, February 10, at 10:15 a.m., two backcountry skiers on the south side of Teton Pass called 911 after encountering a male skier experiencing a medical issue.

At the time, a TCSAR short-haul team was about to begin routine training in Jackson. The pilot and three volunteers immediately diverted to the scene in Olympic Bowl. The helicopter dropped off two volunteers, who skied to the patient and initiated treatment. Given his condition, they called for a short-haul operation, lifting him to an ambulance near the top of Teton Pass. The time from the 911 call to ambulance transfer took just 40 minutes.

TCSAR commends the reporting skiers for assisting in the response and stresses the importance of calling 911 at the first sign of an emergency, even when details are unclear. After the incident, the two skiers continued their day, and the volunteers resumed their training.

TCSAR Short-Hauls Stranded Snowmobiler on Westside of the Tetons

At 3:56 p.m. on Tuesday, February 4, Teton County Search & Rescue was notified that a male snowmobiler was stuck in a drainage on the western slope of the Tetons. The local resident had motored a couple of miles into the Hill Creek area and was not able to get back out due to heavy, wet snow.

A TCSAR volunteer happened to be snowmobiling in the vicinity during his time off. He responded to help the man and subsequently informed incident command in Jackson that conditions were too dangerous for a ground response.

Teton County Search & Rescue complete a successful short-haul mission for a stranded snowmobiler just before dark on Tuesday, February 4. Photo: TCSAR

Opting for a helicopter rescue, TCSAR dispatched three short-haul members into the ship with the pilot. They flew to the scene and then successfully short-hauled the man out of the backcountry. The ship returned to base just minutes before ‘pumpkin hour,’ known as 30 minutes after sunset.

Pumpkin hour originates from Cinderella, and can mean a personal curfew or deadline. For aviation crews, it indicates when a helicopter can’t fly due to darkness.

During the mission debrief, TCSAR learned that the snowmobiler had attended the Moto Avalanche Safety Night on December 12 at the Virginian, where he said he learned to call 911 early if a situation arised. That he put in the call when he did gave TCSAR the extra bit of time to consider various options, along with the safety of the stranded snowmobiler and SAR volunteers. Our team was happy to help get this snowmobiler out of there before nightfall and weather complicated matters.