TCSAR and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort to Host Party for Mission Critical on March 18

Jackson, Wyo. — To celebrate a continual partnership that supports the entire community, Teton County Search & Rescue and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort are hosting a party for Mission Critical at the base of the aerial tram on March 18. In conjunction with the resort’s “Road to Rendezvous” from 3-6 p.m. on Saturday, this is an all-ages party, all are welcome, and there is no cost to attend.

Mission Critical is the name of TCSAR’s capital campaign intended to raise $7.25 million to purchase a year-round, Search & Rescue helicopter for Teton County. Since August 2022, TCSAR Foundation has raised $5.8 million in private donations toward that goal. This amount includes a generous gift from JHMR and the Kemmerer Family Foundation, a longtime and committed partner in support of TCSAR volunteers and backcountry safety. 

The time is now for the community to back up these efforts to support Mission Critical. Just as TCSAR volunteers respond to anyone who needs their help—whether they’ve lived in Jackson for decades or arrived yesterday on vacation—they know that Every Person Counts.

“In order for Mission Critical to be successful, that same philosophy applies: Every Person Counts,” said Stephanie Thomas, Executive Director for TCSAR Foundation. “We are humbly asking this community to help push Mission Critical over the finish line in the name of saving lives. Starting Saturday and over the next few months, our goal is to have as many donations to this campaign as the number of rescues our team has performed since becoming operational 30 years ago—1,493.” 

TCSAR does not own—and never has owned—a helicopter. TCSAR currently leases a rescue helicopter for eight months out of the year, leaving a critical gap in their ability to respond to life-threatening injuries. The lease model also puts TCSAR in jeopardy of not receiving a contracted helicopter in the future.

A successful campaign means that Teton County will have an on-call rescue helicopter available 365 days a year. With the number of rescues going up annually, a year-round SAR ship is an essential resource for this outdoor-centric community. 

The March 18th celebration takes place during “Road to Rendezvous,” JHMR’s free offering of live music under the tram from 3-6 p.m. each Saturday during March. TCSAR Foundation will be on site taking donations, selling merchandise and educating the community about the helicopter campaign.  

To learn more about Mission Critical, please visit: TetonCountySAR.org/mission-critical.

For more information about Road to Rendezvous, go to: JacksonHole.com.

TCSAR Responds to Two Callouts Over the Weekend, including One that Ends in Fatality

Jackson, Wyo. — Teton County Search & Rescue responded to a pair of accidents this weekend, including one that tragically ended as a fatality on Togwotee Pass on Sunday, March 12.

The first call came at 1 p.m. on Saturday from a husband and wife floating in a raft on the Snake River. That morning, the couple from Twin Falls, Idaho, had rented a raft and launched at the Wilson Bridge with the goal of floating to the South Park Landing 13 miles downriver. A few miles into their voyage, they realized they would not be able to navigate the river, which typically splits into different channels about a mile downriver of the put-in. Deep snow also made it hard for them to walk on the banks. On March 11, the Snake was flowing about 800 cfs, which is close to the 27-year median flow for this time of year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

TCSAR helps some floaters out of a jam on the Snake River on Saturday, March 11. Photo: TCSAR

Recognizing they’d gone as far as they could safely go, the couple parked their raft along the side of the river next to the levee and called for help. TCSAR volunteers responded by driving snowmobiles down the levee to the waiting couple. The volunteers lifted the raft out of the water and towed it behind a snowmobile back to a private road where the couple could pick it up later. The couple were given a lift on snowmobiles back to the Wilson Bridge.

This incident is a good example of why it’s important to call Search & Rescue before a situation escalates into a more challenging or dangerous scenario—not just for yourself but first responders as well. TCSAR was happy to help out this couple and bring this incident to a safe conclusion.

At 2:45 p.m. on Sunday, TCSAR received a call about a snowmobiler who had been trapped under his machine in deep snow. A 42-year-old man from Casper was riding with a partner when the two lost sight of each other on Togwotee Pass. They had been riding near the X Trail, which is a spur of the larger CD Trail near the top of the pass. The partner eventually found the man from Casper pinned under his sled in the snow. The partner was able to send out an SOS alert on a satellite device, which mobilized first responders. 

TCSAR responds to a snowmobile accident that had a tragic outcome on Togwotee Pass on March 12. Photo: TCSAR

TCSAR responded via snowmobiles and the helicopter. Multiple partner agencies also responded to the effort, including Teton County Sheriff Deputies and Jackson Hole Fire/EMS. Once on scene, it was determined that the patient was deceased and that the cause of the accident was not avalanche-related.

TCSAR extends its sincere condolences to the man’s family and friends, and wishes to thank the cooperating agencies for the response.

TCSAR Short-Hauls Injured Skier from Mosquito Creek

Just after 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 7, Teton County Search & Rescue was notified of an injured skier deep in the Mosquito Creek area.

TCSAR responds to an injured skier in the Mosquito Creek area. Photo: TCSAR

The skier, a 16-year-old local male, needed rescuing after he aired over a natural cliff feature and upon landing, struck an object beneath the snow. The skier and a partner had used snowmobiles to access the area that morning and were about 7 miles from the trailhead.

At the time of the accident, TCSAR volunteers were already in the rescue helicopter getting ready for a training operation with Grand Targhee Ski Patrol and avalanche dogs. Just as the ship touched down at Grand Targhee, the team got the call. They lifted up and flew to the site in Mosquito Creek.

The skier had reportedly aired over a steep cliffy zone and struck an object in the snow when he landed. Photo: TCSAR

TCSAR decided the best way to extract the patient was via short-haul, which lifts a patient harnessed to the end of a rope below the helicopter for a short flight out of the backcountry. Once on scene, the volunteers assessed the skier’s injuries, packaged him for short-haul, and flew him to a landing zone and waiting ambulance near Fall Creek Road.

TCSAR volunteers conduct a successful short-haul for an injured skier in Mosquito Creek. Photo: TCSAR

From the time of the initial 911 call, TCSAR was able to get this skier out of the backcountry to definitive medical care in 1 hour, 11 minutes. This was due to the speed of the helicopter and good flying weather, of course, but also the extensive training the volunteers do all year long in order to quickly and efficiently perform complex missions.