TCSAR releases midseason report, ‘busiest rescue cycle in TCSAR history’ - Buckrail

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The new 2021 TCSAR volunteer class. From left to right: Ian Johnston, Andrew Armington, Ashley Didion, Tobin Dennis, Dan Rogers, Lexie Drechsel, Anna DiSanto, Lauren Funaro, Brook Yeomans, and Steve Wurm. Photo: TCSAR

JACKSON, Wyo. — Teton County Search and Rescue (TCSAR) released the 2021 Midseason Rescue Report yesterday, June 28.

The report, published biannually, provides information about the organization’s workload over the past six months, from December 1, 2020, through May 31, 2021. According to TCSAR, the report is “designed to be informational as well as educational, sharing “lessons learned” to help others prepare for their adventures in the Jackson Hole backcountry.”

The report opens with a letter from TCSAR Chief Advisor Cody Lockhart. Lockhart called the past six months, “the busiest rescue cycle in TCSAR history.”

“We had 42 rescues in the first two months of the year. So far in 2021, we have had 13 short-haul rescues, more than double the number we have done in previous years,” Lockhart said.

During the winter of 2020/2021 43% of incidents TCSAR responded to were snowmobiling incidents, 32% were backcountry skiing incidents, 7% were snowboarding, 7% were hiking, 4% were horseback riding, 4% were driving and 3% were rafting incidents. 60% of these incidents involved males, 26% involved females, gender was unreported in 6% of incidents.

The report chronicles each rescue from the past six months, sharing details including, location, date, time of day, rescue duration, team members in attendance and what happened.

The report also discussed how snowfall correlates with accidents. According to the report, for the first two weeks in February, TCSAR received calls for help nearly every day. During that same two-week period, the Tetons received more than nine feet of snowfall. Avalanche danger was at or above “considerable” during that time.

The report shares a quote from Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr. “There was a lot of fatigue in February. But I recall a rescue at the end of month that was kind of routine and not too exciting. I remember walking upstairs at the hangar and finding 20-plus people there. It was the tail end of an incredible cycle, and people were pulling off amazing rescues, many of them technical. And still, here they were ready to go,” Carr said.

Two volunteers are honored in the report for their 20 years of service, Terri Romanowski and Ted Kyle. Ten new volunteers were brought on this year for the first time in six years.

The full report can be found here.

About The Author

Buckrail @ Lindsay

Lindsay Vallen is a Community News Reporter covering a little bit of everything; with an interest in politics, wildlife, and amplifying community voices. Originally from the east coast, Lindsay has called Wilson, Wyoming home since 2017. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding, hiking, cooking, and completing the Jackson Hole Daily crosswords.