On June 16, 2024, at 11:23 am, Gallatin County 911 Dispatch received a call from a pair of skiers who had been injured while skiing “The Great One” couloir southeast of Sacagawea Peak. Due to one skier having an injured shoulder, and the other sustaining a compound fracture on one arm, the skiers were unable to safely continue down the couloir.

Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office Deputies and GCSSAR Volunteers responded, and it was determined that a helicopter “short haul” extraction of the skiers to an ambulance waiting at the nearby Battle Ridge trailhead would be the safest course of action. Intermittent cell phone reception caused some initial communication issues, but an uninvolved individual further up hill was able to yell down and relay information to emergency responders.

GCSSAR volunteers from the helicopter short-haul team were inserted near the injured skiers and were able to access the subjects. GCSSAR volunteers conducted medical evaluations and provided first aid for the injuries before preparing the pair for extraction. In two trips, the helicopter from Central Copters, Inc. was able to safely transfer the injured skiers and two rescuers to the Battle Ridge trailhead with the remaining two rescuers electing to walk out on foot.

One injured skier was transported by AMR ambulance to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center for follow-on medical care, while the second was given a courtesy ride by Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office deputies to the same hospital.

Sheriff Springer would like to remind all who recreate in the backcountry that cell phone reception is not always available; and especially when engaging in high risk or extreme sports, having the means to contact emergency services is crucial. A GPS paging capability like a Garmin inReach or similar is strongly encouraged. Furthermore, this is a reminder that it is not a good idea to recreate alone, having a friend around to call for help and stop the bleeding saves lives.