JACKSON, Wyo. — Teton County Search and Rescue (TCSAR) announced that it was mobilized on Monday morning, June 17, to respond to an off-road vehicle accident on Flat Creek Road beneath Sheep Mountain.
According to TCSAR, a 23-year-old male from Colorado “sustained serious injuries” when his vehicle rolled off of the dirt road onto a steep embankment. The female passenger riding with him sustained minor injuries. The pair was part of a group riding rental side-by-side all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).
Teton County Sheriff’s Office deputies were the first to arrive on the scene. They were able to right the vehicle and provide initial patient support, TCSAR said. The TCSAR helicopter team set out, as well as volunteers on two side-by-side ATVs. The helicopter short-hauled the patient to the Jackson Hole Fire/EMS ambulance that awaited him on Flat Creek Road. Short-hauling involves a helicopter suspending a person from a long rope. This technique is often used where conditions are too steep or rocky for a safe helicopter landing.
TCSAR noted that the agency is off to a busy summer, having received eight calls in June. TCSAR was mobilized on Saturday, June 15, to assist a local woman who had suffered a leg injury on a hike on the Sink-or-Swim trail. Volunteers also responded to a hiker on Sunday, June 16, who became sick in Darby Canyon. The TCSAR helicopter has also been deployed to assist with operations in Grand Teton National Park.
“The team appreciates the coordination and partnership from various first-responder organizations during backcountry emergencies, and urges all backcountry users to be prepared, practiced and present during their outdoor adventures,” TCSAR said in the announcement.
Earlier this month, an ATV crash in Victor ended in tragedy, with one juvenile dying from his injuries.
