JACKSON, Wyo. — It was another busy weekend for Teton County Search and Rescue (TCSAR). The agency shared details of three rescues made on Saturday and Sunday on its social media, noting that the trio of incidents demonstrated both the efficiency and the limitations of helicopter rescues.
At 6:22 p.m. on Saturday, the team was mobilized to assist a 47-year-old Evanston woman who was hurt in a horseback riding accident in the Soda Fork area. The helicopter team set out, located the patient, loaded her into the ship, and flew back to headquarters. She was then transferred to a Jackson Hole Fire/EMS ambulance. As backup, a ground team had also been dispatched with a wheeled litter in case the helicopter ran into weather trouble.
The next day, TCSAR got a Garmin satellite emergency notification at 12:45 p.m. about a 64-year-old Park City man who had been injured when his horse “stumbled and rolled on top of him” in the Teton Wilderness. Again, the agency sent both a helicopter team and a ground team; the helicopter successfully found the patient, loaded him internally, and flew him back to an ambulance awaiting him at headquarters.
The third rescue happened on Sunday night. TCSAR was notified at 10:17 p.m. that a 59-year-old male backpacker was in distress on the Teton Crest Trail. The patient described “symptoms consistent with a potentially serious medical issue,” TCSAR’s post states. Since the call came in after dark, TCSAR requested an air ambulance from Air Idaho — the TCSAR helicopter cannot operate at night. The air ambulance found the man, loaded him into the ship and transported him to medical care.
“These incidents illustrate the efficiency of a rescue helicopter as well as its limitations,” the agency stated. “Backcountry users should be aware that weather and darkness can hamper response times, especially as the days grow shorter and produce inclement weather. As you plan your outing, think about what a self-rescue would require, and whether you’d be prepared to wait several hours for help to arrive.”
