JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — It was an early wakeup for Teton County Search and Rescue Tuesday as the team scrambled to assist a backcountry ranger who had been injured way out at the edge of the Teton Wilderness.
Days before the call, the ranger had been struck by a falling tree and suffered a shoulder injury. The ranger tried to tough it out but the pain just wouldn’t quit. Finally, a call was made at 3:19am prompting an interagency response between the US Forest Service, which manages the wilderness area, and TCSAR volunteers.
At 8am, the interagency team (two TCSAR volunteers, a USFS Ranger, and pilot) dispatched in a helicopter to the Hawks Rest Patrol Cabin. The cabin lies in one of the most remote areas of the Lower 48, just two miles from the Yellowstone National Park boundary.
Upon landing, the volunteers located the ranger and her dog in the patrol cabin. They assessed the patient’s injuries, gave the dog a few pats, and loaded the ranger and her canine into the helicopter. A quick flight back to Jackson was made where the ranger received additional medical attention. The team was out of the field just after 10am.
Big shout out to the USFS pilot and the invaluable partnership. TCSAR was happy to have assisted in getting this ranger get out of a jam.
