TCSAR and JH Ski Patrol Coordinate Rescue of Injured Skier

Just before 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 31, Teton County Search & Rescue received a call from Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Ski Patrol for helicopter assistance to evacuate an injured skier from the resort-adjacent backcountry. 

The view of No Shadows from the top of the line. This photo is not from the incident described. Photo: Maddie Johnson

The skier in question—a 33-year-old male—had fallen and sustained injuries while skiing No Shadows, a run off the north shoulder of Cody Peak. No Shadows is a well-known ski descent that lies outside the resort boundary. To access this area, skiers must leave the resort and hike an exposed ridgeline to the top of the line.

After ski patrol responded and requested heli assistance, TCSAR mobilized a heli crew consisting of the pilot and two volunteers. Coordinating with ski patrol, the heli team was able to land near the patient and load him for internal transport. The helicopter then transported the patient to a landing zone at the base of Teton Village, from where the patient was transferred to higher medical care.

TCSAR appreciates the coordination and partnership with Jackson Hole Ski Patrol to help resolve this incident in 1 hour, 35 minutes.

Another Weekend of Rescues: Short-Haul, Short-Haul, Snowmobile, Short-Haul

Jackson, Wyo. — Local rescuers had a busy weekend with four callouts. Three calls came on Saturday: an injured skier on Pucker Face outside of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort; an injured skier in Stewart’s Draw in Grand Teton National Park; and a snowmobiler who was stuck in a creek in the Togwotee Pass area. The rescue on Sunday involved an injured skier in Avalanche Canyon in GTNP.

In one of three calls on March 8, TCSAR responded to a snowmobiler who’d become stuck in a creek in the Gros Ventre Mountains. The mission took 8 hours, 32 minutes, with volunteers getting back to base at 3:45 a.m. Photo: TCSAR

On Saturday, March 8, the first call came in at 10:43 a.m. regarding an injured male skier on Pucker Face. JHMR Ski Patrol arrived on scene and requested helicopter assistance from Teton County Search & Rescue. A heli team flew to the scene, where they short-hauled the local skier to a waiting ambulance at the base of Teton Village.

Later, at 2:45 p.m., Jenny Lake Rangers in GTNP requested helicopter assistance from TCSAR after receiving an emergency call regarding an injured male skier near the bottom of Stewart’s Draw. A heli team including park and TCSAR personnel responded to the accident site. The team short-hauled the local skier out of the backcountry, from where he elected to self-transport.

Saturday's third rescue call came at 5:43 p.m. for a snowmobiler in the Togwotee Pass area. The local male had been crossing a snow bridge on his machine when the snow collapsed beneath him, causing him and the machine to fall into a creek.

TCSAR sent four volunteers up the Gros Ventre Road via snowmobile, while another team entered the backcountry from Togwotee Pass. A friend of the stranded snowmobiler also joined the effort. The friend made contact with the subject at 11:23 p.m., followed by TCSAR volunteers about 30 minutes later. The subject was reported to be extremely tired and cold.

After trying to warm the subject, TCSAR transported him out of the backcountry to the Gros Ventre Road. After making it out of the field, the team provided the man with a ride back to town. The volunteers arrived back at the SAR headquarters at approximately 3:45 a.m.

On Sunday, the Jenny Lake Rangers called TCSAR at 1:40 p.m. requesting helicopter assistance to help an injured female skier in Avalanche Canyon. The TCSAR pilot flew the county ship to the park and picked up a team of rangers. The team extracted the patient via short-haul and flew her out of the backcountry. The woman decided to self-transport from there.

TCSAR Responds Again to No Name Peak

Just before 1 p.m. on Friday, April 12, Teton County Search & Rescue received a call regarding an injured snowboarder on No Name Peak. It was the second time in the last 10 days that the volunteers were called out to No Name, a large mountain prized by local skiers and snowboarders for its steep and immense northeast-facing slope. It is typically accessed from the boundary gates at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and is uncontrolled backcountry terrain.

TCSAR volunteers respond to a snowboarder who was injured riding No Name Peak on April 12, 2024. Photo: TCSAR

The snowboarder, a local male, had been severely injured after striking rocks while descending the peak. TCSAR volunteers were able to communicate directly with the patient over the phone, and informed him the team would be arriving by helicopter.

Within 25 minutes of receiving the initial rescue call, the TCSAR helicopter lifted off with two volunteers and pilot on board. As they approached No Name, they could easily see the patient from the air and landed within 50 feet of his location. Jackson Hole Ski Patrollers, en route from the top of the aerial tram, arrived on scene simultaneously. 

After assessing the man’s injuries and treating him, the team loaded him internally into the helicopter for transport. The team then flew the patient to the TCSAR hangar where they transferred him to a waiting ambulance with Jackson Hole Fire/EMS. 

The entire mission was completed in 58 minutes. TCSAR appreciates the partnerships that allow the volunteers to bring injured patients out of the backcountry and into higher medical care.

TCSAR would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that they should dial 911 in case of a backcountry emergency. If you have cellular service, that is the quickest and most efficient way to get a rescue started.