Haywood County Search & Rescue

05/18/2026

We had 3 team members successfully complete LSFTM (Land Search Field Team Member) training over the last few weeks which culminated in overnight exercises this weekend involving navigation skills, tracking, grid searching, and patient movement.

Congratulations and thanks for your dedication and training!

05/03/2026

We enjoyed helping with this so much!

03/21/2026

Today, members of HCSAR combined a day of rope systems training with hauling old tires out of a ravine off the MST near Balsam Gap. There were enough tires to completely fill our trailer! We had a lot of fun combining this training with some environmental cleanup for our community!

03/12/2026

Looking forward to this event on May 2nd where some of our own will be participating as trainers and scenario planners.

Do you work with a local SAR team, fire department, or emergency management organization in Western NC? If so, please consider joining the WNC Wilderness Safety Fund and our expert trainers in a FREE day of training in Murphy, NC. To register, please reach out via our email.

02/13/2026

Have you ever thought about what it takes to implement an effective search?

Tonight, rescuers participated in a mock search planning exercise where scenarios were given and limited information about the subject was known. From there, they had to create effective plans for searching high probability areas, set containment lines, and communicate the strategy behind the plans.

As you would imagine, the more we know about a subject and their intended path of travel, the more effective we are in finding them!

This is why it’s so important to make sure you communicate your plans to someone, what to do if you dont return, and show up to your outing prepared for spending the night out. 

02/08/2026

HCSAR had two training and team building events yesterday. You may already know that we have specialized teams within our ranks. Yesterday, members of Mountain Rescue Team 4 (MRT4) completed training where dual high lines were deployed to effect a rescue.

Afterwards, members from our greater team met for our second annual “Operation Cold Spot” where we work on skills like land navigation, pace counting, fire building, and other elements combined with a cold weather camp out.

Prizes are given for various competitions, one of which is best meal cooked over the fire. This year’s winner made a campfire lasagna in a Dutch oven.

It was a great overnight experience where connections are made between friends and team mates.

01/18/2026

Haywood County SAR deployed to assist an injured hiker exploring off trail near the parkway in the snow when a misstep took it from an afternoon outing to a long road out in a sked.

Thankfully, the hiker was not traveling alone and one in their party was able to make their way back to the parkway to call for help.

Once patient contact was made, we settled on a downward route to extract near Balsam Grove along a forest service road where more emergency personnel would be waiting for them.

After packaging the patient, we started working our way down by using rope lowers down steep grades, high lines over boulder fields, and traversing difficult terrain.

After darkness set in that night, we were able to get the patient to safety.

01/16/2026

Great Smoky Mountains National Park just released their annual visitor data for 2025.

Here's a quote:
"The 2025 attendance at the park is the lowest since 2018 and, at the same time, the seventh-highest in history."

Did you visit the park in 2025? If so, did you do any exploring in the Haywood County portions?

The country’s most-visited national park had its lowest attendance since 2018. But the longest government shutdown in history isn’t solely to blame.

01/09/2026

In a successful rescue mission last night, HCSAR responded to a distress call from a hiker whose afternoon loop turned into being lost after sunset.

Fortunately, the hiker found cell service, enabling us to make contact and extract them safely. We are thankful for a positive result!

This incident highlights the value of preparedness; carrying the 10 essentials can make all the difference when venturing into the woods as well as making sure others have your itenerary.

https://www.hopeandfeathertravels.com/10-essentials-hiking-gear/

12/15/2025

Earlier today, we shared a post about Charles Hosch, the gentleman who's been missing since November 11 after hiking to the summit of Blood Mountain in north Georgia.

If you'd like to continue following the efforts for this operation, his family set up this informative website for the public. We were honored to lend a hand in the effort, and we feel deeply for Charles' friends and family as they still seek answers:

Join our ongoing efforts to locate Charles Hosch, a Dallas attorney and SMU law professor, missing since November 2025 after hiking in Georgia. Support the search today.