SUBLETTE COUNTY, WYO – The 911 call came into Sublette County Dispatch at 4:50 pm, Sunday afternoon. A frantic-sounding woman said her husband fell into Boulder Creek and was carried over the falls and out of sight.
Sublette County Sheriff’s deputies, EMS, a Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper, and Tip Top Search and Rescue scrambled into action. A follow up conversation relayed new information. The woman said her husband was alive, but clinging to a rock some 700 feet downstream of the falls.
When deputies and the TTSAR swift water team members arrived at the scene—about three miles above Boulder Lake Lodge—they didn’t like what they saw. Even for the swift water team, the creek was running too hard to even attempt putting anyone in the water. They opted for air support.
A contract helicopter was flown to the site and a Tip Top member was suspended via a long line under the chopper. A life jacket and extraction suit were placed on the trapped man and both were safely flown to the staging area at Boulder Lake Lodge. EMS was waiting there and took over the man’s medical care.
“It was an extremely dangerous mission with the best possible outcome,” said Sublette County Sheriff KC Lehr. “This rescue was successful due to the quick response and interoperability of all emergency agencies who responded. The rescue was facilitated by the staff and trail teams of Boulder Lake Lodge, to which we owe a huge thanks.”
The man was transported to Sweetwater County Memorial Hospital to be checked out. He was later released with only minor injuries.
