70% of Teton County's Search & Rescue Missions Are for Men

Originally posted on Powder | By Izzy Lidsky | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 10:11 AM ET

For folks who crave steep and challenging terrain, and lots of snow, the Tetons are a playground. These factors attract the most adventurous and curious people, but can also create an unforgiving environment for even the smallest mistakes.

As a result, Teton County Search and Rescue (TCSAR), which serves the area's particularly large population of high-level mountain athletes and recreationists, is one of the most dialed and well-respected Search & Rescue (SAR) units around.

Several times a year, TCSAR releases reports of their rescue metrics to provide information on the types of missions they get sent on and the demographics being rescued in an effort to educate the community. TCSAR's latest report runs from December 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025, profiling their peak winter season and the beginning of their summer season.

An intro to the report by Chief Advisor Cody Lockhart notes that the past winter was one of the busiest on record for TCSAR, and that they saw more overnight rescues for snowmobilers than ever before.

"Typically, the biggest rescues occur when the conditions are horrible and the stakes are high. This winter, the rescuers on TCSAR spent many nights out in blizzards saving lives," penned Lockhart.

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Amongst other statistics, the TCSAR report revealed that the most common rescues in the December 1-May 31 time period were made of men (72%), who were aged 16-30 years old (33%), and were backcountry skiing or snowboarding (27%), including via lift accessed backcountry (18%). It also noted that in 2024, TCSAR responded to five backcountry fatalities in total, and one in 2025.

Along with accident reports from the past year, the report noted that TCSAR is in the process of training ten new volunteer rescuers selected from 163 applications to add to the team. The organization is also hosting the International Commission for Alpine Rescue (ICAR) in Jackson Hole in October of 2025. ICAR will bring together 140 rescue teams from 47 countries for a five-day rescue conference.

TCSAR's semi-annual report is a reminder that the most extreme environments demand a top-tier search and rescue team, and that while we never plan to call SAR, being able to is a life-saving resource.

In a small town like Jackson Hole, accidents in the mountains can create destructive waves through the town. The community is truly lucky to have such a dedicated team at their disposal.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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