Missions

17 August 2010 -- Injured Hiker Rescued from Lava Lake Trail

2010-08-18T13:23:00.002-06:00

7 members of BSSAR responded to a call at Lava Lake trailhead. A woman had injured her leg about 1.5 miles up the trailhead. Members packaged her entire left leg as it was not clear whether she had sustained a knee or ankle injury. The patient was transported down the trail with the Teton litter. Her husband transported her to the hospital in their personal vehicle.

7 August 2010 -- Boy Kicked by Mule at Ramshorn Lake

2010-08-18T13:17:00.002-06:00

Seven members of BSSAR responded to a call at Ramshorn Lake. A boy had been kicked by a mule and had broken his arm. The father of the boy did not feel comfortable transporting his son down via horseback and had instead called search and rescue. Rescuers started up Buffalo Horn trail towards Ramshorn lake. The trail was extremely muddy which made travel difficult. Once members reached the lake, they stabilized the broken arm and packaged the boy in the Teton litter. The boy was transported out to the trailhead where an ambulance transported the patient to the hospital.

23 July 2010 -- Injured Horseback Rider Rescued from Porcupine Trail

2010-08-18T13:11:00.000-06:00

Several members of BSSAR responded to a call of an injured horseback rider out Porcupine trail. The patient had been bucked off a horse and sustained injuries. BSSAR members packaged the patient and transported them to the trailhead where an ambulance was waiting.

18 June 2010 -- Injured Horseback Rider Rescued from Wilson Draw

2010-08-18T13:01:00.005-06:00

Several members of BSSAR responded to a call up Wilson Draw near the 320 Ranch. A horseback rider had been bucked off a horse and had sustained possible broken clavicles and a fractured right arm. The team packaged her and transported her to the trailhead where an ambulance transported her to Bozeman Deaconess.

30 January 2009 -- Injured Backcountry Skier Rescued from Garnet Mountain

2010-01-06T18:11:00.006-07:00

Four members of BSSAR responded to a page at Rat Lake near Garnet Mountain. Snowmobiles were used to access the area at Garnett. Upon arrival, BSSAR members encountered several backcountry skiers/snowmobilers and 2 members of the Gallatin Valley helicopter rescue team. BSSAR members helped package the patient for the helicopter rescue. Patient sustained trauma to the pelvic/upper femoral area and was transported via helicopter to Bozeman Deaconess hospital. The total mission took about 4 hours.

16 August 2009 -- Missing Person Reported at Moonlight Basin

2009-08-25T12:34:00.002-06:00

Members of Big Sky Search and Rescue received a page at 2:30am reporting a missing person up at Moonlight Basin. After several hours of searching the area, the missing person was found sleeping in a house. He had broken in the house and fell asleep. He was unharmed but had caused extensive damage to the house exterior.

13 August 2009 -- Exhausted Hiker Rescued from Porcupine Trail

2009-08-25T12:32:00.002-06:00

A family hiking out on Lemon's Knob in the Porcupine area called 911 reporting that their 72 year old grandma was too exhausted to hike out the trail. Several BSSAR members responded to the page and found the family on the top of Lemon's Knob; a steep trail in the Porcupine area. The woman's vitals where taken and she was determined to be in good health, aside from being tired. BSSAR transported the 72 year old out on an ATV while the rest of the family hiked out on foot.

07 August 2009 -- Mountain Biker with Broken Arm Rescued

2009-08-25T12:31:00.001-06:00

Several BSSAR members responded to a woman who had broken her arm while mountain biking on the Grizzly Loop out Porcupine trail. The patient was found slowly walking out with her fellow bikers. She explained that she had fallen off her bike onto her arm and now had pain in her elbow. She complained of increased pain when the arm was moved into a bent position and claimed the most comfortable position was holding it straight down at her side. BSSAR transported her out on the back of an ATV, allowing her arm to remain in the straight position. She sustained no further injuries.

22 July 2009 -- Injured Horseback Rider Rescued

2009-08-25T12:30:00.002-06:00

BSSAR member responded to an injured horseback rider out Porcupine trail. The injured rider had fallen off her horse onto her hip. When BSSAR members arrived, they performed a full body assessment, assessing that her spine was uninjured but her hip was extremely sore. Members packaged her and transported her out the the trailhead where an ambulance was waiting.

04 July 2009 -- Rescue at Ousel Falls

2009-08-25T12:27:00.002-06:00

Members of Big Sky Search and Rescue responded to a call about a person in the water at Ousel Falls in Big Sky. A woman had jumped in the stream after her dog that had fallen in the water. Both dog and owner were swept down stream, but were able to self rescue after traveling down stream several hundred yards. No one was injured.

19 May 2009 -- Swift Water Rescue on Gallatin River

2009-05-27T13:34:00.002-06:00

BSSAR member received a page on Tuesday afternoon of a woman being swept down the Gallatin River near the Mad Mile. After a joint effort between the Big Sky Fire Department, the Valley Search and Rescue specialty teams, and BSSAR, the woman was located and pulled from the river near Spanish Creek. Attempts to revive the woman were unsuccessful and she was declared a fatality by medical officials.

09 April 2009 -- Three snowmobilers reported missing on Buck Ridge

2009-05-27T13:23:00.003-06:00

This late-night search attracted a large turnout from BSSAR members. Three snowmobilers were reported missing by a family member at around 9:00pm that evening. BSSAR mobilized eight snowmobilers to search the Buck Ridge area. The snowmobilers searched for the missing party for several hours before finally locating them stuck in the Buck Creek drainage. Once located, it took an additional two hours to move the missing party and their snowmobiles to the main Buck Ridge trail. The party was cold and tired, but sustained no physical injuries. They were able to ride their sleds down the main Buck Ridge trail to their vehicle. This mission lasted 6 1/2 hours and was completed at 3:30am.

28 March 2009 -- Search for Lost Snowboarder on Backside of Lone Peak

2009-05-27T13:13:00.002-06:00

Several members of BSSAR responded to a call regarding a lost snowboarder somewhere on the backside of Lone Peak. The snowboarder separated from his party earlier in the afternoon and was unable to navigate out of the backcountry on his own. Rescuers based their search from the Yellowstone club giving them easier access to the backcountry. The lost snowboarder was promptly found and escorted out to the nearest road. Patient sustained no injuries but was cold and tired.

10 January 2009 -- Snowmobiler caught in Buck Ridge Avalanche

2009-01-11T15:33:00.003-07:00

Five members of BSSAR responded to a page about an avalanche burial on the south side of Buck Ridge. Eight snowmobilers from North Dakota were traversing below a hill and triggered a 150 yard-wide slide. One of the eight snowmobilers was buried in the slide. Luckily, his seven friends were able to dig him out. He was buried 6 feet below the snow surface. The patient was in stable condition when BSSAR members arrived at the scene and had no apparent signs of additional injuries. Team members transported the patient to the highway and met up with an ambulance.

03 December 2008 -- Injured Snowmobiler Rescued from Buck Ridge

2008-12-03T18:00:00.002-07:00

Five members of BSSAR and three Canyon Adventures snowmobile guides responded to a call of an injured snowmobiler in McAtee Basin off of Buck Ridge. The snowmobiler sustained a broken leg from flipping over his handlebars in a creekbed. The team stabilized the leg and secured the patient on the back of a snowmobile in a rescue sled. The patient sustained no other injuries and was transported to an ambulance. The rescue lasted three and a half hours.

29 Novemeber 2008 -- Search for Lost Skier in Beehive Basin

2008-12-03T17:53:00.002-07:00

Five members of BSSAR responded to a call of a lost backcountry skier in Beehive Basin. The lone skier became disoriented in a white-out snow storm and called 911 on his cell phone. Dispatch was able to retrieve the skier's coordinates from his cell phone, expediting the search. Two members skinned out the ridge and successfully located the lost skier while the other attending members waited at the trailhead with snowmobiles. The search took approximately 3 hours.

20 September 08 -- BSSAR Mock Rescue Training

2008-10-29T12:08:00.002-06:00

Eleven members of BSSAR and 2 members of Bozeman Valley SAR responded to a mock scenario at Ousel Falls involving a couple in their mid-60's. The man and woman had been walking down Ousel Falls trail and fallen down a steep embankment into the creek bed below. The female patient sustained a laceration to her leg and had minor bruising. The male patient suffered from a broken pelvis and femoral head and broke several ribs. Four members of the hasty team were the first to arrive at the incident, followed by the rest of the BSSAR team with backup support and supplies. The female was treated and packaged on site and taken out by BSSAR members for furher treatment. The male patient was treated and packaged on site, then was (hypothetically) retreived by helicoptor for ALS.

26 July 2008 -- Two Lost Hikers Reported in the North Fork

2008-08-07T09:17:00.003-06:00

Two hikers were reported missing from the North Fork trail at 10:30pm on Saturday evening. The hikers were supposed to have returned home to family members by 5:30pm. Nine members of BSSAR responded to this call. ATVs and dirt bikes were initially deployed at the North Fork trail to search for the two missing hikers. Just as the foot team was about to set out, the two hikers exited the forest via Hellroaring Creek trail. The hikers had sustained no injuries, but were tired and hungry.

24 July 2008 -- Injured Horseback Rider Rescued From Porcupine Trail

2008-07-24T17:01:00.003-06:00

Seven members of BSSAR responded to a call of an injured horseback rider off of the Porcupine trail. The woman had sustained a hip injury from falling off her horse. The team packaged her and transported her to an ambulance at the trail head via ATV. The mission lasted two hours.

22 July 2008 -- Injured Female Hiker Rescued From Lava Lake Trail

2008-07-24T16:42:00.003-06:00

Five members of BSSAR's "Team Geriatric" responded to a call about an injured woman on the Lava Lake trail head. The woman had fallen and broken her Tibula and Fibula. Patient was packaged and carried out by the 5 old men.

05 July 2008 -- Three Rafters Rescued from Gallatin River

2008-07-21T12:06:00.002-06:00

Five members of BSSAR responded to a call about 3 rafters stranded in the Gallatin River at mile marker 39. The rafters had overturned their raft and were stranded on the opposite side of the river. The 3 rafters were ferried back across the river and sustained no injuries.

25 June 08 -- Injured Horseback Rider Rescued on Buffalo Horn Trail

2008-07-01T12:49:00.003-06:00

Eight members of Big Sky Search and Rescue responded to a call of an injured horseback rider on the Buffalo Horn trail behind the 320 Ranch. Patient had fallen off her horse and had localized pain in her left thigh. Patient was stabilized and packaged and then carried out by Search and Rescue members to the trailhead where an ambulance was waiting. The mission lasted about 4 hours.

13 April 08 - Injured Snowmobiler Rescued on Buck Ridge

2008-04-14T15:05:00.003-06:00

Four members of Big Sky Search and Rescue assisted an injured snowmobiler on Buck Ridge. This person had launched his sled off a high cornice, and put a foot down on landing resulting in a severe leg injury. BSSAR responded with two snowmobile teams: a hasty searcher who quickly located the injured party and began patient assessment, followed by an evacuation team pulling an ambulance sled with medical equipment. The patient was stablized and packaged for transport. Given the severity of the injury, helicopter evacuation options were explored, while ground evacuation proceeded in the event that a helicopter might not be available. Air Idaho Rescue was able to respond, and rendezvoused with the ground team at a landing zone on the ridge. The patient was successfully evacuated to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital. The mission lasted about three hours.

2008-04-02T08:06:00.003-06:00

21st-23rd March 2008 - BSSAR Winter Survival School

Six Members of BSSAR and eight members of other Gallatin County SAR groups trained in Beehive Basin with 2 instructors from PEAK Inc. The instructors are retired military survival experts and Air Force Para Rescuemen. Orienteering, shelter and fire-craft, improvised litters and splinting were all taught experientially. All participants created improvised snow shelters on Saturday night. Sunday a practice search operation was held with a succesful locate and Tx of patients. All EMT and WFR's will recive CE credits for this exercise.

13 March 2008 - Regular Monthly Training

2008-03-15T13:39:00.002-06:00

Sixteen members participated in this training on musculoskeletal Injuries. The class was on a review of recent missions and musculoskeletal assessment, treatment of stable and unstable injuries, protocols, and packaging. Continuing education credit was granted to EMT's and WFR's. The class lasted about 3 hours.

23 February 2008 - Injured Person on Garnet Mountain

2008-02-23T22:20:00.005-07:00

Six members of Big Sky Search and Rescue responded to a report of a person who hit a tree on a toboggan near the summit of Garnet Mountain. The Gallatin County Helicopter Rescue Team, HAM Radio Team, GVSA, and the Posse all participated in this rescue. The patient was airlifted by St. Vincent's HELP Flight from Billings, MT. The Incident Commander was a Gallatin County Sheriff's Deputy. The entire mission lasted about 5-1/2 hours.

14 February 2008 - Regular Monthly Meeting

2008-02-15T08:46:00.002-07:00

Nine members participated in this training on Spine Injuries. The class was on a review of recent missions and spine assessment, treatment, protocols, clearance and patient packaging. Continuing education credit was granted to EMT's and WFR's. The class lasted about 3 hours.

20 January 2008 - Avalanche Rescue in Beehive Basin

2008-01-20T21:32:00.001-07:00

Eleven members of Big Sky Search and Rescue responded to a report of a person buried in a avalanche. After some investigation this was determined to be a single burial and a fatality. Rescuer members went in on snowmobiles and skis to recover the body and assist the coroner with the investigation. Big Sky Ski Patrol, the GNF Avalanche Center, Gallatin County Rescue Dogs, the Helicopter Team and Big Sky Fire all participated in this mission. The Incident Commander was a Gallatin County Sheriff's Deputy.
A report from the GNF Avalanche Center can be found here
Photos from the avalanche can be found here.
An article in the Bozeman Chronicle can be found here.
The entire mission lasted about 4-1/2 hours.

18 January 2008 - BSSAR Academy

2008-01-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

Ten members of Big Sky Search and Rescue participated in this training on standard operating procedure. The class was done in a scenario formate and covered incident command, radio communication, strategy and tactics, snowmobile operations, ambulance sled operations and equipment, patient assessment, spine assessment and treatment, and long bone injury assessment and treatment, including traction splinting. Continuing education credit was award for EMT's. The course lasted about 5 hours.

12 January 2008 - Avalanche Rescue Near Eaglehead Mtn

2008-01-12T19:52:00.000-07:00

Ten members of Big Sky Search and Rescue responded for an avalanche rescue on the north side of Eaglehead Mountain. A snowmobile was reported buried in avalanche debris by a passing group. The reporting party could not find anyone around and was unsure if people were still buried there. A team from BSSAR accessed the site and forwarded the VIN number to the incident commander and began a beacon search. The Sheriff's office was able to locate the owner safe at home. the owner reported he had been completely buried and was rescued by his friends. He also reported that no one else was in the debris. Also involved in this mission was the Gallatin County Rescue Dog Team, the Alpine/Helicopter Team, GVSA, the GNF Avalanche Center and a Yellowstone National Park Ranger. The incident commander was a Gallatin County Sheriff's Deputy.
The Avalanche Center report can be found here.
The mission lasted approximately four hours.

10 January 2008 - Regular Monthly Training

2008-01-11T15:53:00.000-07:00

17 members of BSSAR participated in this class on avalanche rescue. The training lasted about two hour.

28 December 2007 - Overdue snowmobiler on Buck Ridge

2007-12-31T14:43:00.001-07:00

Three BSSAR members responded to Doe Creek / Buck Ridge area for a person on a snowmobile who became stuck and was left behind by her friends. The person was located with the help of their GPS enabled cell phone and enhanced 911. Local snowmobile guides found the person uninjured and the incident was canceled. It lasted about 1 hour.

26 December 2007 - PLB Activation

2007-12-31T14:41:00.000-07:00

Seven BSSAR members responded to a dispatch for an activated Personal Locater Beacon (PLB). BSSAR performed a standby function during this incident until it was determined that it was not located in our area. The incident last about 2 hours.

18 December 2007 - Snowmobile Training

2007-12-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

Nine members of Big Sky Search and Rescue went through our beginning of the season snowmobile training and Buck Ridge familiarization. Topics covered included safety, avalanche awareness, maneuvering and how to have fun in the powder. The training last about 5 hours.

13 December 2007 - Regular Monthly Training

2007-12-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

20 members of BSSAR participated in this class on a review of recent missions. The training lasted about one hour. Afterwards the team adjourned to a nearby restaurant to celebrate the holidays and a successful year of operations.

9 December 2007 - Car in the River Rescue

2007-12-09T22:21:00.000-07:00

Four members of Big Sky Search and Rescue responded to a river rescue request for a car in the Gallatin River. They worked in conjunction with SAR teams from the Bozeman valley. A Gallatin County Sheriff's Deputy was the incident commander. The mission lasted approximately three hours.

8 December 2007 - Lost Snowmobiler on Buck Ridge

2007-12-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

Ten members of Big Sky Search and Rescue responded for a person lost while snowmobiling near Cedar Mountain and Buck Ridge. The patient was located by a BSSAR hasty team on snowmobiles, and transported to an EMS unit from Big Sky Fire. A Gallatin County Sheriff's Deputy was the incident commander. The mission took approximately four hours.

5 December 2007 - Missing and Injured Up the Taylor Fork

2007-12-06T00:46:00.000-07:00

Ten members of Big Sky Search and Rescue responded up the Taylor Fork / Cache Creek area for two people. One person is reported to have drank bleach and the other one was missing after a falling from a horse while evacuating the first. The patient was transported by an EMS unit from Big Sky Fire, and the other was located and assisted to the trailhead. The incident commander was a Gallatin County Sheriff's Deputy. The mission lasted approximately five hours.

8 November 2007 - Regular Monthly Training

2007-11-11T19:23:00.000-07:00

18 BSSAR members participated in this class on the assessment and management of respiratory emergencies. These continuing education credits will be used to recertify Wilderness First Responder (WFR), Wilderness EMT (WEMT) and EMT certifications. The class lasted 2 hours.

29 October 2007 - Wapiti Ridge

2007-10-29T21:12:00.000-06:00

9 members of BSSAR responded 3.5 miles up the Wapiti Ridge Trail for an elk hunter injured in a horse accident. BSSAR/Heli team members located and assessed the patient. The patient was evacuated by a Gallatin County SAR contract helicopter using a short-haul technique and a BSSAR/Heli team litter attendant. The patient was turned over to an EMS unit from Big Sky Fire. A Gallatin County Sheriff Deputy was the Incident Commander. This operation lasted about 5 hours.

11 October 2007 - Regular Monthly Training

2007-10-14T18:20:00.000-06:00

This course consisted of a recertification in Healthcare Provider level CPR. The class lasted about 2 hours.

15 September 2007 - HAR Training in Gallatin Canyon

2007-09-15T20:41:00.000-06:00

10 BSSAR members and 10 members of the GCSAR Alpine Team jointly trained on high-angle rescue techniques. The teams did a guideline, which involved a mid-cliff pick off and lower down the rock face and talus slope. The exercise lasted about 10 hours.

14 September 2007 - Porcupine Trailhead

2007-09-14T16:31:00.000-06:00

6 members of BSSAR responded for two patients about a half mile from the trailhead who fell from horses. BSSAR was canceled by the Incident Commander while en route, after subjects walked out on their own. A Gallatin County Sheriff Deputy was the Incident Commander. The operation lasted about an hour.

31 August 2007 - Cinnamon Trail

2007-09-14T16:28:00.000-06:00

9 members of BSSAR responded 2.25 miles up the Cinnamon Trail for a person injured in a horse accident. BSSAR members located and assessed the patient. The patient was evacuated by a Gallatin County SAR contract helicopter using a short-haul technique and a BSSAR litter attendant. The patient was turned over to an EMS unit from Big Sky Fire. A Gallatin County Sheriff Deputy was the Incident Commander. This operation lasted about 5 hours.

19 August 2007 - Porcupine Wildlife Area

2007-09-14T16:24:00.000-06:00

5 members of BSSAR responded to the Porcupine Wildlife Area for a person injured in a horse fall. The patient was assessed and stabilized on the vacuum mattress and transported 1 mile to the ambulance. Equipment used included medical packs, vacuum mattress, ambulance trailer, 4-wheel ORVs, and a personal motorcycle. A Gallatin County Sheriff Deputy was Incident Commander. The operation took about 2 hours.

26 August 2007 - Ouzel Falls

2007-09-14T16:19:00.000-06:00

5 members of BSSAR responded to the Ouzel Falls overlook for a woman who fainted. After assessing the patient she was evacuated 1.5 miles to the trailhead by wheeled litter. A Gallatin County Sheriff Deputy was the Incident Commander. The operation lasted about 2 hours.