A 49-year-old woman getting some mid-July ski turns in the Wyoming backcountry found herself at the bottom of a 650ft headwall with an injured knee and was unable to hike out. A 911 call was placed and a cavalry of volunteer rescuers were dispatched. Cheers to the good folks who roped down and successfully retrieved the injured skier. Here’s Park County Sheriff’s Office Official Statement:
Gardner Lake Injured Skier Evacuation: On Sunday, July 12th, 2020 at approximately 5:09 P.M. the Park County Sheriff’s Office 911 Communications Center received a report of a woman who had injured her knee skiing on the Gardner Headwall ski area in the Beartooth Mountains. The 49-year-old female from Joliet, Montana was 650 feet down the headwall and unable to get out due to her injury.
A joint effort between the Park County Search and Rescue, Cody Regional Health Ambulance Wilderness Response Team, and Carbon County Montana Search and Rescue was immediately launched. By 8:30 P.M. the rescuers were beginning the process of lowering the litter to the injured skier. Four Search and Rescue members lowered down the 650 feet on a technical rope system. The victim was packaged on the litter, and the process of her ascent began at 10:07 P.M. By 11:45 P.M. the victim was delivered to a waiting Cody Regional Health Ambulance.
Sheriff Scott Steward praised the response and the expertise of the volunteers involved in the evacuation mission. “The dangerous terrain made for a very risky rescue operation, but the skill set, training, and dedication of all of the teams involved made for swift and safe rescue.”
images from Park County Sheriff’s Office