New Episode from The Fine Line: The Harrowing Story of how a Climber was Rescued from a Crevasse

Thirty feet down inside a dark, icy crevasse, Tyler Willis never gave up hope that he would be rescued. That he was eventually pulled from the depths of the Teton Glacier by his climbing partner and two passersby after more than an hour of rope rigging is testament to the value of companion rescue.

The harrowing tale from August 8, 2020, when Willis fell into a hole in the glacier after summiting Mount Owen, is the newest episode on The Fine Line, the podcast from Backcountry Zero and Teton County Search and Rescue Foundation.

Tyler Willis receives emergency care from Grand Teton National Park climbing rangers after being pulled from a crevasse in the Teton Glacier, in this photo from Sunday, August 9, 2020. Photo: Courtesy Ryan Stolp

Willis, a 34-year-old climber and educator from Evanston, Wyo., shares his story with host Rebecca Huntington. The two-part episode includes the sharp perspective of Ryan Stolp, a Jackson climber who happened to come across the accident site after also summiting Mount Owen and proved to be instrumental in saving Willis’s life. The third person in the interview is Mike Shain, a Jenny Lake climbing ranger who helped bring Willis off the mountain.

Part 1 of the episode airs at 2 p.m. on KHOL 89.1 FM on Thursday, December 17, with Part 2 airing at the same time on December 24. Both episodes will also be available via download on Apple, SoundCloud, and Spotify. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode.

TCSAR Flies with RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector

Volunteer team is just one of four organizations in the U.S. to operate the heli-based search system

Over the years, Teton County Search and Rescue has consistently sought ways to evolve its programs and find the latest and greatest advancements in search technology. The team recently got a boost in this area by obtaining the RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector. TCSAR is now just one of four teams in the U.S. to utilize the system, which allows a helicopter to swiftly search a large area for a RECCO tab on someone’s person or even pick up incidental electronics.

The RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector in action during a recent TCSAR training mission. Photo: TCSAR

Many backcountry users are familiar with RECCO, a Swedish company founded in 1983 that makes small passive transponders that are picked up by a RECCO detector. Over the years, more than 125 outdoor brands—such as Arc’teryx, Patagonia, Salomon, and Atomic—have included these small RECCO reflectors in their products. Many brands are now including the system in summer and fall products, like bike helmets, to make it relevant year-round.

It’s important to note that the reflectors do not take the place of an operating avalanche beacon. The reflectors are passive, so there is no reciprocal search function or other use by the owner. It simply allows someone to be found with a corresponding RECCO detector. Most commonly, ski patrols across the world use hand-held detectors to conduct searches. 

Where TCSAR gets a lift with the SAR Helicopter Detector is in how much ground it can cover in a short amount of time during a search. The detector looks like a 174-pound drum and hangs 15 meters (about 49 feet) below the helicopter. Flying 300 feet above the ground at 60 mph, the detector scans 600 square feet every second. 

“One of the ideal applications would be during an inbounds avalanche with multiple burials where it’s assumed that not everyone is wearing an avalanche beacon,” says TCSAR Chief
Advisor Cody Lockhart. Because the drum can pick up incidental electronics, it could also be used to search a large wilderness area, such as the Gros Ventre during hunting season or Cache Creek during bike season.

The RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector is extremely accurate and swiftly covers an enormous area. PHOTO: TCSAR

“It operates like a grid pattern, essentially searching an entire football field at a time, till we get that signal hit,” says TCSAR pilot Steve Wilson. “Then you do a fine grid search. It’s extremely accurate.”

The SAR Heli Detector is one of three helicopter-mounted search mechanisms used by TCSAR. The team also uses a heli beacon, which can pick up avalanche transceivers and is often used to search debris piles after a slide in the backcountry, and there’s Lifeseeker, an aerial cellular transmitter that can locate mobile phone signals even when there’s no cell service.

The particulars of the incident on the ground will determine which tool the team uses. But it helps the team and community to have so many search options available. Thanks to RECCO for supplying the system and for the partnership.

The Fine Line kicks off Season 5 with Night Rescue in Phillips Canyon

Podcast from Teton County Search and Rescue Foundation continues with stories of adventure, risk and rescue in the Jackson Hole backcountry. New episode to be released on November 5.

On the evening of September 5, Hannah Bruch and Stuart Schiff, both 31, set out on their mountain bikes to ride the Phillips Canyon trail on Teton Pass. Though Bruch, a physician assistant from Denver, was in her first season of mountain biking, she’d already ridden Phillips Canyon twice during the summer. With her skills progressing, she was determined to ride across the three log bridges that are characteristic of this trail, rated by Trailforks as a “black diamond” due to its various technical features. Schiff, an experienced biker who lives in Jackson, parked his truck at the bottom of the trail at Fish Creek Road, and they left Bruch’s car at the Phillips Bench.

Bruch cleared the first bridge. But on the second, she lost her balance and tumbled off the side, dropping more than four feet directly onto a stump in the creek. The accident left her soaked, in severe pain and unable to walk with about four miles separating her from either trailhead. The sun was going down, they didn’t have headlamps or spare clothing, and Bruch’s began showing signs of hypothermia.

An evening ride that turned into a long night. Thanks to Hannah and Stuart for sharing their story with The Fine Line. Photo: TCSAR

With just a sliver of mobile service, Schiff dialed 911, which forwarded the call to Teton County Search and Rescue. Team member Anthony Stevens, a Wilson resident, had just put his three kids to bed when he got the call. He quickly grabbed his gear, drove to the bottom of the Phillips trail, and began running up as darkness enveloped the canyon.

The story of Bruch’s accident, the lessons she and Schiff learned, and Stevens’ rapid response is the subject of the newest episode of The Fine Line, the podcast produced by Teton County Search and Rescue Foundation. The episode airs at 2 p.m. on Thursday, November 5, on KHOL 89.1 FM, and afterward can be streamed through Apple and Soundcloud. 

“Night Rescue in Phillips Canyon” is the 30th episode of The Fine Line and marks the beginning of the podcast’s fifth season. Developed by the TCSAR Foundation to share stories of adventure, risk and rescue in the Jackson Hole backcountry, the podcast continues to examine recent rescues, like this summer’s harrowing crevasse fall in Grand Teton National Park. But it will also dive into prominent themes within the SAR world, such as how young people are exploring the backcountry during the Covid era and how professionals and recreationalists cope with stress trauma after tragedy. The goal of the podcast is to raise awareness about backcountry safety by sharing personal stories from those who have been impacted by accidents. All episodes can be found at Backcountry Zero, and wherever you get your podcasts.