TCSAR and JH Ski Patrol Team Up For Injured Skier

Jackson, Wyo. — Just past noon on Thursday, February 19, Teton County Search & Rescue received an alert from the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol requesting helicopter assistance for an injured skier outside the resort boundary. The 44-year-old female from Jackson had sustained an injury while skiing an area known as Four Pines and was unable to ski out on her own.

Coordinating with Jackson Hole Ski Patrol, Teton County Search & Rescue deployed a heli team to pick up an injured skier in the backcountry of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Photo: TCSAR

As they often do in such incidents, ski patrol made the initial response. After assessing the patient’s injury, patrol called TCSAR for heli assistance. TCSAR fired up the ship and flew to the scene. Coordinating with patrol, the team landed nearby and loaded the patient for internal transport to the base of Teton Village, completing the mission in 1 hour, 35 minutes.

Big shout out to Jackson Hole Ski Patrol for their help in coordinating this rescue effort.

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.

TCSAR Responds To Tandem Snowmobile Crash on Togwotee Pass

At 1:13 p.m. on Monday, January 26, Teton County Search & Rescue received a page from dispatch regarding a snowmobile accident in the Togwotee Pass area. The page concerned two patients, a male and a female, who had been riding tandem on the L trail when they went off trail and collided with a tree. The two riders had been in a small guided group when the accident occurred.

From Togwotee Mountain Lodge, the L Trail parallels the highway for a few miles before turning north toward Turpin Meadows. Photo: TCSAR

The female patient was reported to be unresponsive and breathing. The male patient was reported to be responsive with significant injuries. Two Teton County Sheriff Deputies were already in the area and they responded via snowmobile from Togwotee Mountain Lodge. A third deputy established a landing zone in a pullout on the highway for aerial support. Deputies arrived on scene at 2 p.m.

TCSAR responded with a helicopter and ground teams. The team also requested support from two ambulances and a helicopter from Air Idaho. Around this time, the male patient went into cardiac arrest. We are saddened to report that this patient did not survive his injuries.

With deputies and TCSAR personnel on site, the team short-hauled the female patient to the LZ on the highway. The patient was transferred to Air Idaho, which transported her to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls.

All of us at TCSAR offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends affected by this tragedy. We want to take this time to also express our gratitude to the numerous volunteers, sheriff deputies, and partnering agencies that helped with this mission.

This has been a challenging winter so far for our mountain community. TCSAR has responded to four fatalities, with two coming in the last three days. We know that accidents happen and that we all make mistakes. This message is not intended to shame or judge anyone. Just please remember that when you take on a backcountry objective—no matter how big or small—the most important thing is to make sure you come home at the end of the day. Be safe out there, everyone.