TCSAR Rescues Injured Horse Rider in Teton Wilderness

Jackson, Wyo. — At 7:29 a.m. on Thursday, August 13, Teton County Search & Rescue received an emergency alert for an injured horseback rider deep in the Teton Wilderness. The patient, a 67-year-old female from Lander, had sustained multiple injuries after getting bucked off her horse the day before, on Wednesday. Her party had contacted dispatch that afternoon as an information-only notification. 

On Thursday morning, the members of her party called back to say it was clear that the woman, along with her dog, would need assistance getting out of the backcountry. 

Teton County Search & Rescue volunteers did a heli evac for an injured horse rider on August 13 in the Teton Wilderness. Photo: Teton County Search & Rescue

In response, TCSAR assembled a helicopter team consisting of the pilot and three volunteers. The team covered the distance from SAR HQ in Jackson to the scene in about 23 minutes. The helicopter found a flat landing zone near the patient, and the volunteers were able to help her and the dog into the helicopter for the flight back to Jackson. TCSAR then transferred the patient to a waiting ambulance from Jackson Hole Fire/EMS, completing the mission in approximately three hours.

TCSAR Helps Backpacker in Distress in the Teton Wilderness

At 10:46 a.m. on Friday, July 31, Teton County Search & Rescue received a satellite SOS activation originating from the Box Creek trail northwest of Turpin Meadows in the Teton Wilderness. The message did not include any details, leading TCSAR to investigate whether it was a false activation, possible bear encounter, or other emergency. 

If you are in need of or expecting helicopter assistance, please help our team by making yourself visible. Photo: Teton County Search & Rescue during a training exercise.

After communicating with Garmin, through which the SOS message was transmitted, the team was able to get in touch directly with the reporting party. In the process, TCSAR discovered that a 23-year-old male was in distress due to a medical issue. He had been backpacking with a group of friends when the emergency occurred.

In response, TCSAR dispatched a short-haul helicopter team to the scene, with a ground team in vehicles as backup. While flying over the location, the helicopter team needed several flight overs before eventually spotting the reporting party beneath some trees. The ship landed and volunteers met the patient before helping him into the ship for a flight back to TCSAR headquarters. The team then transferred the patient to a waiting ambulance from Jackson Hole Fire/EMS.

This incident brings to light a few friendly reminders that can help our team:

If you are in need of help and are expecting a helicopter, please make yourself visible. Wear bright colors and wave your arms when you see the ship approaching (but do not approach the ship as it is landing). Do not ever wave at a helicopter if you don’t need help. Lastly, all rescue services provided by TCSAR are free of charge. 

Our team was happy to be able to assist this individual.

TCSAR Recovers Body of Missing Thru-Hiker in the Tetons

For immediate release

Media contact: Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr, (307) 733-4052, mcarr@tetonsheriff.org

Jackson, Wyo. — At approximately 8:20 a.m. on Wednesday, July 29, Teton County Search & Rescue located a hiker who’d been reported missing for nearly a week on the remote trail system between Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. 

TCSAR is saddened to report that the hiker, a 28-year-old male from Australia, was found deceased near an area known as the Wigwams on the west slope of the Tetons in Teton County, Wyo. Evidence suggests that he may have fallen from a steep, high-altitude ridgeline that separates Grand Teton National Park and the Jedediah Smith Wilderness. 

The TCSAR helicopter during the operation on July 29, 2026. Photo: Teton County Search & Rescue

The following information was provided by rescue officials from Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, which conducted the initial investigation:

The man had been attempting a thru-hike of the Continental Divide Trail, starting in Canada earlier this summer. He had been tracking his progress via a Garmin satellite device and giving regular updates to his family in Australia. His family described him as healthy with the ability to travel 25-30 miles a day. 

On July 19, the hiker posted an update from a location near Old Faithful in Yellowstone. He described his upcoming itinerary in the Tetons, Gros Ventre Wilderness, the Wind River Range, and Divide Basin. 

On July 23, the family received another Garmin check-in but it did not include coordinates or a message. During this same period, the family received a video via Facebook Messenger that they believe placed him in the Tetons. The family received no further communication, which they indicated was outside the man’s regular pattern.

On July 27, the family contacted officials from Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Park officials were able to determine that the Garmin tracking points on July 23 placed the hiker near the Wigwams inside Teton County. The parks then transferred the investigation and subsequent operations to Teton County Search & Rescue, which has jurisdiction for SAR operations outside of the two national parks. 

On the morning of July 29, TCSAR assembled a helicopter short-haul team and flew to the hiker’s last presumed point. From the air, the team spotted a bright orange backpack which they believed belonged to the missing hiker. They then found the subject below the ridge south of North Wigwam Peak and collected the body for heli transport back to TCSAR headquarters in Jackson. From there, the team transferred the subject to the Teton County Coroner’s Office.

TCSAR sends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased, and wishes to express its gratitude to the partnering federal agencies who assisted in the investigation.