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.

Midnight Mission: TCSAR Rescues Stranded Snowmobilers on Togwotee Pass

At 7:53 p.m. on Sunday, February 2, Teton County Search & Rescue was paged regarding a group of snowmobilers who’d become stuck on the Togwotee Pass trail network.

The group sent out an emergency text-to-911 via satellite along with their coordinates to the Teton County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center. Dispatch contacted TCSAR and indicated that the party of four were in the vicinity of the K and V trails. The group consisted of two men and two teenage boys visiting from Minnesota. To communicate, the group had an iPhone with satellite messaging capability as well as a satellite-specific communication device.

During the February 2 callout, TCSAR volunteers encountered drifting snow on Togwotee Pass. Photo: TCSAR

With high winds and drifting snow limiting visibility, TCSAR volunteers responded with teams on snowmobiles. Just past midnight, a group of six volunteers located the missing party about eight miles from the trailhead. They were cold but otherwise unharmed. The trail they were on had essentially disappeared under snow drifts. 

The volunteers helped dig out two of the stuck snowmobiles. The two men in the missing party were able to ride their sleds out of the backcountry while the two boys were transported via snowmobile by TCSAR volunteers. All returned back to Togwotee Mountain Lodge. 

Six volunteers responded on snowmobiles to rescue a party of four missing snowmobilers on Togwotee Pass on February 2, 2025. Photo: TCSAR

The volunteers then returned to the TCSAR hangar in Jackson just before 3 a.m. and prepped the equipment for the next callout.

Regarding the use of satellite texting, this incident showed how the SAR team was able to use the technology in an emergency. As the incident unfolded, one of the men was using his iPhone to text his wife via satellite. She connected with TCSAR, who asked her to tell her husband to initiate a text to TCSAR incident command. He did so, which enabled back-and-forth text communication between his party and incident command at TCSAR.

Got a New iPhone? Here's How to Use Apple's Satellite Text-to-911 During an Emergency

So far this winter, Teton County Search & Rescue has been alerted four times via Apple iPhone’s new satellite SOS function. Due to questions surrounding this new technology, we would like to provide some information about best practices regarding how to use this application during a backcountry emergency. 

This PSA is not intended to shame or cast judgment on anyone—we empathize with all those who go through the complicated stress of an emergency—only to provide useful information regarding a new technology that can help serve our backcountry community.

Apple’s satellite text function was introduced in the iPhone 14, released in 2022, and is available in all new iPhones with the IOS 18 update. When activated outside of cellular range, the device connects the user to the nearest satellite in order to send an emergency text message, which is then routed to the Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center. Apple encourages iPhone users to set up a Medical ID and emergency contacts that are included in a SOS text message.

But if you’ve ever used a Garmin inReach or SPOT, you know that messages via satellite are not automatic. Transmission depends on the location of the user in relation to the satellite, and relaying a message often takes longer than what we’re all used to with standard text messaging while in cell range. During the chaos of an emergency, it’s easy to appreciate how complicated this procedure can be, especially if you’ve never used it before.

It’s also important to know that someone outside of the original text thread—such as a SAR member at Incident Command—will not be able to contact you directly with this technology. Contact with the reporting party must be done through dispatch. In other words, the reporting party must initiate the text in order to receive a response.

For those equipped with this capability, Apple recommends going through the demo available on your phone. Familiarize yourself with its functionality, and then remember to include the following info during an emergency:

When texting 911 via satellite with your iPhone, please provide the following:

  • Nature of emergency and number of people in party.

  • Mechanism of activity (ski, snowmobile, etc.)

  • Anything SAR should know (previous medical history, allergies, other hazards, etc.)

And please remember:

  • Make sure you have an unobstructed view of the sky and horizon.

  • Satellite transmission is not automatic.

  • SAR response may take some time.

  • Watch for additional questions or instructions via text from the 911 dispatch center.