Back-to-Back Heli Rescues for TCSAR on March 18

Jackson, Wyo. — Teton County Search & Rescue utilized its helicopter to perform back-to-back rescues on Saturday, March 18.

In the first, a witness called 911 at roughly 1:30 p.m. Saturday after watching a skier fall about 700 feet down Central Couloir on Cody Peak. Central is a highly visible and extremely steep, technical ski descent in the backcountry south of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. In order to access it, one must exit the resort gates, climb the ridge of Cody Peak before dropping into the couloir from the summit.

A skier carefully descends Central Couloir in the JHMR backcountry after his partner fell, requiring a TCSAR rescue. Photo: TCSAR

Ski patrollers and TCSAR volunteers help carry a patient to the rescue ship in Cody Bowl on March 18. Photo: TCSAR

The skier, a woman from Salt Lake City, lost her balance about halfway down the couloir. She tumbled down the couloir and over a cliff band at the bottom, sustaining multiple injuries. Her partner, a man from Victor, Idaho, was still up in the couloir.

JHMR ski patrol were first on scene while TCSAR mobilized a response with a team in the helicopter. The helicopter was able to land in Cody Bowl, where ski patrollers and SAR members helped load the patient inside the ship. Then, she was flown to a landing zone (LZ) and waiting ambulance at the base of Teton Village.

The woman’s partner was able to collect her skis still in the couloir. He pitched them over the cliff at the bottom before he jumped the mandatory exit cliffs to the field of snow below. He was able to ski out of the backcountry on his own power.

TCSAR is grateful for the partnership with JHMR Ski Patrol for the seamless response to help this skier get the help she needed.

The Teton Village landing zone and coordinated partnerships help TCSAR successfuly close rescue calls. Photo: TCSAR

Just after 3 p.m. on Saturday, TCSAR was contacted by Bonneville County Idaho SAR for a helicopter assist of a missing snowmobiler in the Palisades area of the Snake River Mountains. A 50-year-old man had gone missing after riding his snowmobile up Pole Canyon, outside of Victor, Idaho, on Friday and had not been seen or heard from since. Teton County Idaho SAR was involved in the hours-long search on snowmobiles. Air Idaho, a private helicopter ambulance, joined the search from the air.

TCSAR’s heli team searched for more than two hours from the air. The team eventually spotted the man; he was alive but stuck in extreme terrain. The heli landed and volunteers were able to reach him and help him board the ship for a flight out of the backcountry. TCSAR’s heli team was able to get back to the hangar in Jackson at 7:15 p.m., about 20 minutes before sunset.

TCSAR appreciates the coordination from the different SAR teams and agencies involved to help find this missing snowmobiler and get him back to safety. These incidents underscore the importance of having a life-saving rescue helicopter available at a moment’s notice. TCSAR currently leases its ship for eight months per year. Given the increased rate of rescues, the team is presently trying to raise enough money to purchase a year-round SAR helicopter for Teton County. Learn more about this effort here.

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.