An S.O.S. went out via a GPS device located on a remote trail. A reported bear attack deep in the back country sent teams scrambling. Park County Search and Rescue was activated, sending first responders to the Sheep Mountain trailhead to attend to multiple injuries. 

Luckily, this was a training mission. But being prepared is important at a time when area bears are waking up from their long winter naps. 

As crews raced into the hills Thursday with specialized equipment, a second call came out for a victim falling through the ice on the Buffalo Bill Reservoir. Fortunately, it was a second part of the training scenario — a secret organizers threw at the team to gauge their ability to respond to multiple calls at the same time.

While one group headed up the trail, others regrouped and raced to the icy shores of the reservoir, wetsuits in tow. Both exercises tested the team in some of the most strenuous situations they face. For the first time, Wyoming Game and Fish Department game wardens and officials were brought in to train with the team and other agencies who often respond, including state park rangers, Shoshone National Forest officials, county and state police, Cody Regional Hospital’s wilderness medical team and Bureau of Land Management law enforcement officers.

“The idea is for all us inter-agencies to learn from each other,” said Lance Mathess, acting coordinator for Park County Search and Rescue. “A lot of times we will have calls where we will get multiple agencies there. But it’s not necessarily a coordinated effort. We’ve never really trained together.”

One of the first lessons search and rescue learned from Game and Fish was that racing into a bear mauling to rescue victims is a risky pursuit. While getting to the victims is of paramount importance — “We’re going to get [the patients] out. That’s priority number one,” Mathess said — keeping team members safe while knowing an agitated grizzly is in the area is just as important. 

There’s also an evidence chain to be preserved.

“The Game and Fish need hair samples, they need biology samples. If we find a bear, they need to know,” Mathess said.

The entire situation is all too familiar to first responders in the area. Mathess stressed the importance of being bear aware. 

“Bear attacks and encounters can happen at any time. Be prepared for it,” he said. A lot of people carry firearms, though bear spray “is more effective,” Mathess said.

The training mission also pointed out the importance of those recreating in the back country to carry emergency tools on every trip into vast wilderness areas. In this situation, the faux victims were carrying a Garmin inReach GPS satellite communication system. It allows victims to call for assistance, immediately giving rescue teams not only directions to their exact location, but also informs them of the owner of the device and details of the emergency.

“Are they alone? What supplies do they have? Are they prepared for the weather? Were they prepared for an emergency?” Mathess said.

In this case, there were two (fake) injuries including one victim being partially disemboweled. 

Cody Regional Wildlife Supervisor Dan Smith responded to the scene along with game wardens. He said the agency always responds to maulings with the knowledge it may become a law enforcement situation, but saving victims is the number one goal.

“The ultimate goal is to save the person who’s out there and needs help — whatever it takes to do that. So the more that we can work together on that, the better chances are having that happen,” he said.

Only once the victims are safe does an investigation begin. The potential for conflicts between grizzly bears and humans is on the rise in Wyoming, according to the department. Game and Fish officials have documented an increasing distribution of grizzly bears throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which leads to the higher conflict potential. Bears continue to expand their range into more agricultural, residential and human-dominated landscapes.

Training missions are meant to help keep the search and rescue team sharp. One advantage to multiple agencies responding are members of the team who work for the Game and Fish or other local entities. Cody Region fisheries biologist Jason Burckhardt is an experienced member of Park County Search and Rescue. BLM employee Robert Lind is also an important team member, among others.

“The more familiar you are with multiple agencies and multiple capabilities, the more efficient you’re going to be on a rescue,” Mathess said.