JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Teton County Search and Rescue plucked an injured skier off Windy Ridge Sunday afternoon in record time. The incident January 2 was a perfect example of the rescue team’s training, experience and efficiency.
The pageout was for a woman who injured her knee while backcountry skiing on Windy Ridge, on the west side of Teton Pass. The incident was not avalanche related, though TCSAR’s response did take into consideration the area’s moderate/considerable hazard rating.
After fielding the call, TCSAR assembled a response team in the helicopter, with ground teams and a short-haul crew as backup. The helicopter was able to fly directly to the patient, where she was packaged, loaded into the ship, and flown back to the TCSAR hangar. Her friends took over from there and drove her to higher medical care. The mission lasted less than two hours.
The mission shows the efficiency and speed of the TCSAR helicopter, but also serves as an important reminder that weather and darkness can prevent the ship from flying. Had that been the case, this would have been a much longer—and colder—ordeal for everyone involved.
