Warm Weather Sparks Summer Rescue Season for TCSAR

After the busiest May ever for Teton County Search & Rescue, June continues to keep the volunteers on their toes. Since June 1, the team has been called five times, with an additional two calls from Grand Teton National Park for emergency helicopter assistance.

TCSAR ramps up for a busy summer rescue season during a training session in May 2025. Photo: TCSAR

The increase in callouts correlates with the number of people getting out into the backcountry. With warm, relatively dry weather drawing people outdoors, TCSAR encourages everyone to remember to be prepared, practiced, and present in the backcountry, no matter your chosen activity.

“It’s been a particularly beautiful spring and early summer,” said TCSAR Chief Advisor Cody Lockhart. “People started getting out and about on the river, on the trails, and on their bikes, a bit earlier than normal this year. Not surprisingly, rescues followed suit.”

The most recent calls for TCSAR included a hiker experiencing a medical issue on Sheep Mountain on the evening of June 9. A helicopter team from TCSAR departed Jackson and was able to land near the hikers. The volunteers then treated the patient in the field and flew her back to Jackson for higher medical care.

Then, around 10 p.m. on June 9, TCSAR was alerted to a 19-year-old male who hadn’t returned from a hike up Moose Creek. Two volunteers met at the trailhead and began hiking up the drainage around 11:30 p.m. They found a large moose, but no hiker. They continued to search through the night and eventually called it off at 4 a.m. The team began looking again at 5:30 a.m. The hiker eventually alerted his family that he had made it back to the trailhead at 6:30 a.m.

TCSAR volunteers train for all kinds of rescues. Photo: TCSAR

On the evening of June 11, numerous people called in to report that a speed flyer (a low-flying type of paraglider) had crashed on Snow King Mountain. About 20 personnel from TCSAR and the Sheriff’s Office searched the area for a possibly injured patient. At about 10 p.m., the search was called off after nobody was found.

After a mostly quiet spring, the month of May included 14 calls for service, the most ever for that time of year for TCSAR. The calls included two swiftwater alerts on the Snake River near Astoria; a crashed speed flyer; a stranded motorist near Cave Falls; three calls for missing or overdue children; an injured horseback rider; two injured mountain bikers at the same location on Teton Pass; and overdue bear hunters in the Gros Ventre Mountains.

Lockhart pointed out how this wide diversity of backcountry activities means that the volunteers must also have the relative skills to respond.

“It shows the breadth of recreational activities that people are doing, and the skills that the team needs to have to sort out those problems,” he said.

If you’re heading out, please have a plan, let someone know where you are going, know your limitations, and bring the appropriate gear for your chosen activity.

Anyone who has a backcountry emergency is encouraged to call 911 as soon as possible.

River Mishap Prompts Jet Boat Rescue

Jackson, Wyo. — A family float turned into a potentially serious ordeal on Sunday, June 1, when a party of seven became stranded on the Snake River. During a float from Moose to Wilson, the party’s raft got hung up on the rootball of a downed tree in the middle of the river outside the boundary of Grand Teton National Park. As the raft took on water, one adult and three children ended up stuck on top of the feature. Meanwhile, two adults and one child stayed in the raft and were able to land on a nearby riverbank.

TCSAR volunteers help some stranded boaters off an obstacle in the Snake River on June 1, 2025. Photo: Teton County Search & Rescue

An emergency call was placed at approximately 12:55 p.m., prompting a multi-agency response from Teton County Search & Rescue, the Teton County Sheriff’s Office, and Jackson Hole Fire/EMS. 

As TCSAR formulated a rescue plan, they learned that the stranded boaters were in the vicinity of a private river access on the Snake River Ranch. The team requested and received permission to launch a jet boat from this access point. This allowed the team, including one boat captain and two team members, to navigate the river and approach the site from the downstream side of the feature. The team then helped the adult and three children off the feature and into the rescue boat. Several other volunteers and deputies observed from the bank as backup in case anyone fell into the water.

Numerous personnel were involved in a Snake River rescue on June 1, 2025. Photo: Teton County Search & Rescue

The jet boat then piloted to the other stranded boaters. There, they picked up the one remaining child. The two other adults stated they would be able to float the raft down to the take-out at Wilson. At that point, the jet boat transported the rest of the party to the private river access and drove them to Wilson where they were reunited with the rest of their party.

This incident serves as a reminder of the many hazards present on all sections of the Snake River. During spring runoff, the river corridor becomes braided into different channels with numerous strainers, logs and other debris creating significant hazards. These obstacles often shift and move around as water levels fluctuate, creating unpredictable hazards. Add swift, cold water to the mix, and these elements present serious navigational challenges that should be attempted by only the most experienced boaters.

TCSAR extends its gratitude to the numerous personnel who aided in this rescue, and to the Snake River Ranch for granting access to its boat launch.

The Fine Line Podcast Returns for Ninth Season

Jackson, Wyo. — Teton County Search & Rescue Foundation is excited to announce the upcoming release of Season 9 of The Fine Line podcast. 

“Ride the Tram, Ski the ‘Shoe” drops on Thursday, May 29. Listeners will be able to hear the show at 2 p.m. on KHOL 89.1 FM, as well as stream it on all major podcast platforms.

The episode explores a backcountry ski accident from May 18, 2024, when locals Mark Fellermann and Tanner Flanagan attempted to descend Horseshoe Couloir, a steep, north-facing line outside the boundary of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. During a mandatory rappel on their descent, Fellermann fell about 1,500 vertical feet over a cliff band and frozen snow, sustaining serious injuries.

Teton County Search & Rescue volunteer Brook Yeomans, a special education teacher who has been with TCSAR since 2021, was part of the crew that was called to respond. Yeomans explains in the episode how this rescue went to the heart of why he decided to become a volunteer in the first place.

“Ride the Tram, Ski the ‘Shoe” is the first of six episodes in Season 9 and the show’s 60th episode overall. The new season includes stories about two separate climbing accidents on the Grand Teton, an all-night rescue of an injured hunter deep in grizzly country, a candid conversation about how mental health is a backcountry safety issue, and a ‘slam dunk’ snowmobile rescue that turned into an epic all-nighter for everyone involved.

After the May 29 premiere, a new episode will come out every two weeks.

Produced by TCSAR Foundation's Backcountry Zero initiative, The Fine Line uses storytelling to illustrate how accidents happen and what people can do to prevent accidents in their own adventures. Each episode brings together the perspectives from both rescuer and rescuee, and is often the first time they've met after an accident. The result is a touching, honest reflection of what happens during a backcountry emergency.

“We are so grateful for everyone who comes on The Fine Line to share their experiences so that the rest of us can learn,” says Matt Hansen, the show’s host, producer, and communications director for TCSAR Foundation. “These open and honest conversations help create awareness and empathy in our backcountry culture, and truly show that accidents can happen to anyone, no matter their experience level. We also hope to elevate listeners’ understanding of how our first responders solve complex problems to help someone who’s been lost or injured in the backcountry.”

The Fine Line features music from former longtime Jackson residents Anne and Pete Sibley, Victor, Idaho-based musician Ben Winship, and original cover art by Jen Reddy. The show’s editing and sound are by Melinda Binks.

Season 9 of The Fine Line is sponsored by Roadhouse Brewing Co. and by Arc’teryx. The show can be heard every Thursday at 2 p.m. on KHOL 89.1 FM, and downloaded for free wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about the show and find its entire archive at BackcountryZero.com.