JACKSON, Wyo. — On Monday, Dec. 23, Teton County Search & Rescue (TCSAR) released its 2024 End-of-Year Review and Rescue Report, which documents one of the most eventful years in the organization’s 31-year history.
The 32-page document reports the second highest call volume ever, with 130 calls for service between Dec. 1, 2023 and Nov. 30, 2024. The TCSAR helicopter program, which was in its first year of service, completed more than 60 rescue missions. Many of those rescues involved a partnership with rangers in Grand Teton National Park.
In 2024, rescue locations included areas in Togwotee Pass, Caribou-Targhee National Forest on the west side of the Tetons, the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort backcountry and the Gros Ventre Mountains. According to the report, those aged 16-30 issued the most rescue calls, approximately 38 percent. Local and regional backcountry users accounted for 43 percent of all calls.
The report shows that TCSAR’s 38 volunteers dedicated a collective 10,827 hours back to the community in the form of rescues, training and community events. TCSAR Chief Advisor Cody Lockhart said in the report that the organization is successful due to teamwork.
“Within our Team, there is a culture of finding where you can be the most helpful and then proudly filling that role,” Lockhart writes in the report’s intro letter. “It is not about being a hero or an all-star — it is about being the best teammate possible. It is not about getting credit for the job — it is about making sure the job gets done.”
The Rescue Report also outlines TCSAR and the Foundation’s future goals, including hosting the International Commission for Alpine Rescue in Oct. 2025, and prioritizing educational programming. TCSAR announced earlier in December that it will bring on a new class of volunteers in 2025.
Rescue Reports are free and can be found at a number of participating businesses in Jackson. Digital versions are available for download at the TCSAR website.
