2019 END-OF-YEAR REVIEW + RESCUE REPORT www.tetoncountysar.org TCSAR RESCUE REPORT - 1 FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS TCSO SAR ADVISORS AND STAFF DEAR FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS NED JANNOTTA, PRESIDENT CODY LOCKHART, CHIEF ADVISOR Teton County Search and Rescue members volunteer their time, but being a SAR JESSE STOVER, VICE PRESIDENT AJ WHEELER, M.D., MEDICAL ADVISOR member is not without compensation. The satisfaction, gratification, and pride SAR members receive from saving lives, keeping loved ones together, and serving DAVID LANDES, TREASURER PHIL (FLIP) TUCKER, LOGISTICS ADVISOR our locals and visitors alike during some of their worst days are larger than any LESLIE MATTSON, SECRETARY GALEN PARKE, PLANNING ADVISOR paycheck we could earn. This past year has been a year filled with such instances, MISSY FALCEY KC BESS, MEMBERSHIP ADVISOR and we’ve seen excellent growth and improvement for TCSAR along the way. I could not be prouder of our team. JENN SPARKS ANTHONY STEVENS, TRAINING ADVISOR CLAY GEITTMANN JESSICA KING, TCSO SAR SUPERVISOR Search and Rescue missions don’t just happen; they are the result of all the little things coming together—the years of embedded knowledge, teamwork, HUGH O’HALLORAN MATT CARR, TCSO SHERIFF training, and dedication. We only have one chance to execute a rescue. If things LIZ BRIMMER don’t go right, the consequences are high and may mean the difference between FOUNDATION STAFF life and death. For every hour spent on a rescue, there are probably 10 hours DON WATKINS spent maintaining and ordering equipment, training, administrating, organizing, TOM CHAPMAN STEPHANIE THOMAS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR planning, fundraising, and countless other little things. HADLEY HAMMER CASEY LEWIS, DONOR RELATIONS DIRECTOR MATT HANSEN, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER One of the aspects that differentiates our team from most other rescue teams SCOTT GUENTHER, GTNP LIAISON worldwide is our community involvement through our Foundation, which JESSICA KING, TCSO SAR SUPERVISOR LIZ KING, PSAR MANAGER exists to provide direct volunteer support, community education, and advocacy. CARYN FLANAGAN, DIRECT SUPPORT COORDINATOR That support is applied to multiple fronts, from researching the latest gear, to CODY LOCKHART, TCSAR ADVISOR LIAISON booking travel, to fundraising for training and equipment, to hosting events that raise awareness for backcountry safety. To support the team and our mission, the Foundation added 1.5 employees in 2019. The new Foundation team members have added energy and expertise that have proved vital to our team rising to the next level. Also in 2019, the Foundation helped gather community financial support to bring FROM our rescue helicopter here in operation in October, a month earlier than usual. That support resulted in the helicopter performing three rescues in October, one being DECEMBER 1, 2018 - NOVEMBER 30, 2019 a life saved. I cannot express how proud the team is when their involvement on a rescue results in saving someone’s life and keeping a family together. That is why TCSAR VOLUNTEERS SPENT we volunteer, and we could not do our job without the support of the community. 12,963 HOURS Growing and improving takes work. The TCSAR organization is full of folks that are willing to put in the effort to make the Teton County backcountry a safer place ON SAR-RELATED ACTIVITIES for people to spend time with their friends and family. Enjoy the mountains. If something goes wrong, give us a call—we are more than happy to help. RESCUES = 4,740 HOURS Cody Lockhart, SR#84 TRAINING = 7,808 HOURS Chief Advisor, TCSAR COMMUNITY EVENTS = 415 HOURS 2 - TCSAR RESCUE REPORT TCSAR VOLUNTEER TEAM MEMBERS KC BESS TIM CIOCARLAN RYAN COMBS MICHAEL ESTES PHILLIP FOX ED FRIES ERIC HELGOTH TED KYLE CHRIS LEIGH ETHAN LOBDELL CHASE LOCKHART CODY LOCKHART RYAN MERTAUGH MIKE MOYER ALEX NORTON GALEN PARKE KEEGAN PFEIL JEN REDDY TERRI ROMANOWSKI ROBB SGROI SCOTT SHERVIN WILL SMITH JENNIFER SPARKS ALEX ST. CLAIR ANTHONY STEVENS CHRIS STIEHL STEPHANIE THOMAS PHIL (FLIP) TUCKER DOUG VAN HOUTEN CAROL VIAU DON WATKINS LIZZIE WATSON TCSAR EMPLOYEES AJ WHEELER JON WIEDIE JESSICA KING MATT CARR TCSO SAR SUPERVISOR TCSO SHERIFF www.tetoncountysar.org TCSAR RESCUE REPORT - 3 INCIDENTS BY GENDER WINTER 2018/19 WINTER 10-YEAR AVG SUMMER 2019 SUMMER 10-YEAR AVG Unknown/Other Unknown/Other 13% Female 14% 14% Female 52% Female 14% Female 30% Unknown/Other Male 48% 14% Male 86% Male 70%2 Male 57% Female 14% Male 70% INCIDENTS BY ACTIVITY WINTER 2018/19 WINTER 10-YEAR AVG SUMMER 2018 SUMMER 10-YEAR AVG Aircraft Rafting Rafting 3% XC Skiing 1% SUP ATV Skiing 4% 4% 3% 3% 4% Snowboarding Other Hunting 11% 6% 8% Mountain Biking Horseback Riding 14% Snowmobiling 18% Caving Backcountry Skiing 35% Hiking 29% 2% Hiking/Backpacking Lorem43% ipsum Lorem ipsum Walking Lorem ipsum Lorem34% ipsum 7% Other Snowmobiling Backcountry Skiing & 14% 34% Snowboarding Horseback 58% ATV 7% Riding Boating XC Skiing 11% 11% Mtn Biking Climbing 6% 12% 2% Sailboat 4% Driftboat Hammocking 4% Hunting 4% 4% 4 - TCSAR RESCUE REPORT –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– transported to the BLM access point. The second boat arrived Summer 2019 RESCUE Fall from Horse at Pacific Creek and loaded three more people. Two SAR members remained on DATE 6/13/2019 the snag with the final two passengers, who were subsequently TIME 12:26 p.m. retrieved and transported to the BLM site. RESCUE REVIEW DURATION 5 hours, 4 minutes ATTENDEES 18 team members The cottonwood snag was approximately 150 feet from river » JUNE right across some class II rapids. The scenic float trip that got WHAT HAPPENED? The BOA received a page that a 60-year-old hung up on the snag had started taking on water, so the guide RESCUE Knee Injury on Powder 8 woman had fallen off her horse in the Pacific Creek area and had his passengers disembark on the snag. The guide attempted DATE 6/1/2019 dislocated her knee in the process. A helicopter was dispatched to get his raft off the snag and pull alongside, but the current TIME 11:59 a.m. to Emma Matilda Road, where it picked up the patient and took him to river right, where he landed 1,000 feet down DURATION 5 hours, 1 minute transported her to an LZ on the Pacific Creek Road. The patient from his passengers. Three other commercial rafts were in the ATTENDEES 11 team members was then transported via ambulance to St. John’s Medical area, two below and one parallel to the stranded rafters. One Center. guide tried twice to walk up a bar braid and row over, without WHAT HAPPENED? Search and Rescue Board of Advisors (SAR success. The three commercial rafts waited until all passengers BOA) got a page regarding a 24-year-old male skier with an –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– had been picked up by SAR and taken to the BLM takeout. injured knee to the south of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort RESCUE Overturned SUPers on Snake River boundary. One team approached the man by skiing out the DATE 6/15/2019 gate at the top of the tram, and another drove a truck to the TIME 8:45 p.m. bottom of the Thunder chairlift. The patient self-skied to gate DURATION 1 hour, 15 minutes 3 at the resort, and ascended to the ski area on his own. The ATTENDEES 17 team members team, including members with the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol, transported him down the mountain via toboggan to the WHAT HAPPENED? The BOA received a page that three people were snowline, and then he walked to a waiting vehicle. in the Snake River, last seen one mile south of Hoback Junction. SAR responded with two trucks loaded with a cataraft and jet –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– boat. With the help of the Teton County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO), RESCUE Ankle Injury on Josie’s Ridge it was determined that the three boaters (one stand-up paddler DATE 6/2/2019 and two in an inflatable kayak) had dumped themselves and TIME 3:18 p.m. all of their gear into the river. The boaters initially swam to DURATION 2 hours, 12 minutes the east side of the river before swimming to the west side. ATTENDEES 13 team members Three of their friends were also on the scene trying to scavenge their gear in the dark. Sheriff’s deputies were instrumental WHAT HAPPENED? The BOA was paged for a female hiker with a in locating the three swimmers and their friends. One SAR possible broken ankle about five or six switchbacks up Josie’s member swam into the river to what he thought was a person, Ridge. About 50 minutes later, the team reached the patient but which turned out to be a log. and transported her down the trail in the wheeled litter. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– RESCUE Stranded Rafters on the Snake River RESCUE Overturned Raft in Snake River DATE 6/21/2019 DATE 6/8/2019 TIME 5:15 p.m. TIME 3:50 p.m. DURATION 3 hours, 15 minutes DURATION 57 minutes ATTENDEES 16 team members ATTENDEES 9 team members WHAT HAPPENED? On the evening of the Summer Solstice, the WHAT HAPPENED? The BOA got a call in reference to an overturned BOA got a call that eight rafters were stranded on a snag in the raft on the Snake River near Prichard boat ramp. It turned out Snake River. Two teams in jet boats launched from the Wilson to be from a swiftwater rescue class, and no SAR response was boat ramp and reached the group in about 20 minutes. The needed. three coldest passengers were loaded into the first jet boat and All photos ©TCSAR unless otherwise noted. www.tetoncountysar.org TCSAR RESCUE REPORT - 5 RESCUE Fall from Horse up Willow Creek ATTENDEES 13 team members sailboat on Slide Lake.