Summit County Rescue Group

05/20/2026

Last week, the Summit County Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution proclaiming May 17th-23rd Emergency Medical Services Week in Summit County. We thank the Commissioners for their support of all local first responders and are honored to provide free search and rescue services to those who call for help in the backcountry of Summit County.

05/12/2026

Calling all avalanche professionals and SAR responders! Summit County Rescue Group is officially seeking presenters for the 47th Annual Avalanche Seminar on January 30–31, 2027.

We are looking for experts to lead "multi-session arcs" on topics ranging from technical rigging and winter medicine to ICS and high-stakes decision-making. If you have field-tested knowledge to share, travel and lodging assistance is available for accepted multi-session proposals.

Submit your abstract to [email protected] by August 15, 2026, to help shape the future of avalanche rescue! For more details on abstract requirements, please visit our website scrg.org.

05/06/2026

If you plan on getting out in the fresh snow, stay tuned to the forecast as conditions continue to change rapidly.

05/01/2026

This week's training focused on swiftwater rescue skills...while getting snowed on! Training in harsh conditions prepares us for demanding rescues no matter the weather. By practicing with small outings in bad weather, you too can be more prepared for your next big adventure.

04/19/2026

Last Wednesday our volunteers renewed their certifications in adult, child and infant CPR. CPR and first aid certifications are required for all of our volunteers so that we can be ready to provide the best possible care for our patients. If you are interested in learning these lifesaving skills, check out the link below for courses in your area.

https://tinyurl.com/5n93jzjd

04/07/2026

A big thanks to Friends of the Dillon Ranger District and Thirsty Pika Taproom for hosting our Stories from the Backcountry event last Saturday. The turnout from the community was fantastic and we look forward to more collaborative events in the future!

04/01/2026

Spring is arriving early this year. Are you prepared for your next adventure? Join us on April 4th at 2pm at Thirsty Pika Taproom to learn about trip planning, training and taking the essentials through real stories of backcountry rescues. Make sure your next outdoor adventure ends at home on your couch, and not in this helicopter!

03/25/2026

Seasonal roads are changing rapidly with the current weather, leading to conditions that are easy to get stuck in. Update from USFS on roads in the Vail Pass area.

Roads have been closed around Vail Pass due to snow melt.
For more information including where the closures are and what is open, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver/alerts

03/19/2026

Rising spring temperatures increase avalanche activity. To protect rescuers and optimize resources, 𝒘𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔.

𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬
𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡: Call 𝟗𝟏𝟏 immediately if you are involved in an avalanche or witness one. Even if everyone is okay, please notify dispatch. We would much rather receive a call that everyone made it out safely than wonder if someone may still be buried.

𝐂𝐀𝐈𝐂 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Submit details to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center - CAIC to help update the daily forecast.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬
Unconfirmed sightings of tracks entering avalanche debris trigger full-scale search operations. By confirming "all clear" via 911, you prevent first responders from entering hazardous zones and keep resources available for actual emergencies.

𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫: Always consult the CAIC Forecast before heading out and carry the necessary avalanche safety gear.

02/18/2025

MAN SURVIVES LENGTHY AVALANCHE BURIAL IN SUMMIT COUNTY, COLORADO
For Immediate Release:

Summit County, Colorado – At 12:11pm on 17 February, the Summit County Rescue Group was notified of an avalanche in the Shrine Bowl vicinity of Vail Pass Recreation Area. Two men were snowmobiling when they set off an avalanche, burying one of the riders. The unburied man called 9-1-1 and immediately attempted to locate his friend. SCRG responded with 4 dog teams and 27 SCRG members. In addition, the Rapid Avalanche Deployment (RAD) team responded with 1 dog, a handler, and an avalanche technician from the Copper Mountain Ski Area. The Summit County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) also responded with two additional personnel and equipment. The Flight for Life helicopter was unavailable to support the operation because of heavy snow and high winds.

Two dog teams and 10 searchers were immediately driven via snowmobile to the scene as other team members staged for further deployment as necessary.

At 1:13pm, a searcher on the debris field saw a small piece of fabric right at the surface. He pulled on it and noticed that it was a portion of an airbag that the man had inflated. The subject was uncovered and dug out after being buried for approximately 65 minutes. He was conscious, breathing and able to converse with rescuers.

The man was moved from the field via snowmobile and an Orion (a gurney on skis) and transported to Summit Medical Center via Summit Fire & EMS ambulance. He appeared to be suffering mainly from early stages of hypothermia.

The avalanche was approximately 150 meters wide and ran close to 100 meters. The man was buried around 0.6 to 0.7 meters deep.

Avalanche danger was rated by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) as ‘high’ (4 out of 5) for the day, following a series of intense storms. Backcountry users need to be aware that an avalanche burial will generally result in a fatality if the subject is not located and uncovered within 15 minutes. Survival is highly dependent on all members of the party having a transceiver, probe pole and shovel, and knowing how to use them. In this case, the subject was extremely fortunate to have been located alive.

Backcountry users are also advised to check the daily avalanche conditions on the CAIC web site. But be aware that conditions can vary considerably over a given area.

SCRG would like to thank the RAD team, SCSO, CAIC, and US Forest Service for their assistance in the operation.

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The Summit County Rescue Group (SCRG) is an all-volunteer, non-profit search and rescue organization that responds to backcountry emergencies in all weather conditions and all times of the year. In the last three years, the team has averaged 190 calls per year for assistance. SCRG depends on grants and donations for training, equipment and to cover expenses. For more information, or to donate, visit their website at www.scrg.org .
Colorado Avalanche Information Center - CAIC Summit County Sheriff's Office