TCSAR Rescue Reports

Published on a biannual basis, Rescue Reports are intended to keep track of everything the TCSAR volunteers have accomplished over the previous six months. This includes call-outs, missions, trainings, and community events—a synopsis of their commitment to saving lives and creating a positive influence in Jackson Hole. The reports also detail projects, community outreach and education goals set forth by the TCSAR Foundation to support the volunteers and increase backcountry safety awareness.

Ultimately, the reports are designed to be informational as well as educational, sharing "lessons learned" to help others prepare for their adventures in the Jackson Hole backcountry. Rescue Reports are free, available in print or digital form. If you’d like a print copy for your business or home, please send a request to info@tetoncountysar.org.

Teton County Search & Rescue had one of its busiest winters ever, according to the recently released 2025 Midyear Review and Rescue Report. 

Between December 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025, TCSAR reported 64 calls for service. That figure rivals nearly the entire number of calls for many years before 2021, when annual calls for service took a dramatic jump. In the past six months, February saw the most calls with 18, while January had 13. After a relatively quiet March and April, the team saw a spike in May with 13 calls for service.

Most of the calls this winter came from skiers and snowboarders, which alerted TCSAR 27 times. The majority of those calls, 18, were from skiers and snowboarders who entered the backcountry from a resort boundary gate. Many of these lift-served backcountry incidents were handled by local ski patrol, underscoring the critical partnership between TCSAR and our three local ski resorts.

A big theme for this winter had to do with stuck or stranded snowmobilers. Snowmachiners accounted for 17 rescue calls, with five rescues leading to all-night operations from TCSAR volunteers.

“Our volunteers are committed and willing to work hard to provide a service to our community,” writes TCSAR Chief Advisor Cody Lockhart in the report’s intro letter. “In the thick of rescue season, heading out into a storm at night starts to feel normal—but it is not. Whenever I can step back and get some perspective on the TCSAR Team, I am amazed that an ordinary group of community volunteers are able to come together, risk their lives, and go into the mountains to save people they’ve never met.”

The Rescue Report is published twice yearly by TCSAR Foundation, the nonprofit that supports TCSAR volunteers and provides backcountry safety education and outreach. The reports are intended to highlight the commitment and dedication of TCSAR volunteers, provide lessons learned from backcountry accidents, and drive awareness for improving backcountry safety.

The 2025 Midyear Rescue Report includes the following:

• Incident recaps from every call that came into TCSAR from December 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025.

• A deeper look at the trend of overnight snowmobile rescues.

• How backcountry users can use the satellite text-to-911 feature on Apple iPhones.

• Graphs and stats that reveal backcountry accident trends and demographics. 

• Backcountry safety education highlights from the last six months.

Rescue Reports are available for free, and can be found at participating businesses all over Jackson Hole. Click the button below to download the digital version.