07/18/2025
On Thursday, July 17, 2025 at 5:42pm, ASAR was called out for a lost 73 year old male in the Pecos Wilderness north of Cowles, NM. The subject self-reported via InReach to have lost the trail in the downfall of the Jaroso Fire burn scar and was potentially non-ambulatory from a leg injury.
After ground teams, which included Skyline Search and Rescue and Los Alamos Auxiliary Fire Brigade hiked 5 miles into the wilderness, they were able to locate the subject at the exact pinpoint provided by the Garmin InReach location ping. He was out of water, had minimal food, was cold, and most of his clothes and gear were wet from a powerful afternoon monsoon that had swept over the burn scar. After assessing his leg, it was determined that he could attempt to hike out under his own power.
After a few miles of dense uphill bushwhacking, the subject was loaded into the wheeled litter for the remaining 4 mile descent. The subject was safely delivered to his car around 5:15am and all responders were signed out by 5:45am.
Hiking in the Pecos area of Santa Fe National Forest during the summer exposes backpackers to a host of hazards including lightning, flash floods, downfall from recent wildfires, and extended response times in the event of an emergency. The subject in this case was prepared with a Garmin InReach which led rescuers to his exact location, and he wisely didn’t move after reporting his location. There actions help to speed the rescue process.
Thank you to SkylineSAR and LAAFB for helping deliver a lost subject back to his loved ones.
