On July 9th, 2024, at 10:18 PM, Gallatin County 911 Dispatch received a call from a skier who had encountered an individual having trouble making their way down “The Great One” couloir near Fairy Lake. The individual had suffered a fall and was bleeding from an injury to the shin and suspected a possible broken ankle.

The reporting party and the injured subject made their way to a rocky overhang out of the elements and awaited assistance from rescuers. Volunteers from the GCSSAR Valley section and Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to the trailhead near Fairy Lake. A hasty team made their way to the patient in order to conduct a medical assessment and provide first aid while a second team followed with additional equipment and a third team cleared the trail of various obstructions that had gathered during the winter. GCSSAR volunteers were able to assist the subject to the trailhead where they elected to transport themselves to follow-on medical care.

Sheriff Springer would like to thank the individual who stopped to assist a fellow skier in need and remind recreators that it is always a good idea to have the means to contact emergency responders when engaging in extreme sports. Furthermore, it is advised to be sure to carry more food and water than you expect to need because the remote nature of backcountry rescue means you may be waiting several hours for help if you find yourself unable to get out on your own.