TETON COUNTY, ID— Teton County Search and Rescue rescued an injured snowmobiler on Pinnacle Peak Thursday afternoon in what SAR coordinator Jessica King called a team effort.
Search and Rescue responded to a call about a snowmobile accident at around 4 p.m. Thursday. A snowmobiler had jumped off a cliff and “did not land as he intended,” King said. He was assumed to have a back injury. Search and Rescue sent a helicopter to the scene, but freezing conditions between the rain and snowline only allowed the helicopter to fly within .7 miles of the injured party before it started icing up.
This time of year, when temperatures are “hoving around 36-37 degrees,” makes helicopter rescues difficult, King said. “There are definitely times when the helicopter can’t get there.”
Luckily, they had backup. SAR volunteers were able to ski the remaining .7 miles from the helicopter and begin providing medical care to the injured person. The other members of the party helped shuttle the injured person out on their snowmobiles, and another team of SAR volunteers met them on their own snowmobiles.
The injured person was transported via ambulance to the Driggs clinic by 8:30 p.m. Nineteen SAR volunteers participated in the rescue. King is grateful they had a backup plan, but they almost always do. She’s also grateful for the other snowmobilers in the party for their help.
“The other guys were incredibly helpful in getting the rescue done,” King said. “They were really skilled snowmobilers, really well prepared. They contributed a lot to the success of the rescue.”
