Behind the Scenes of Search and Rescue Outdoors
What it's like
Behind the scenes of SAR
Rescue teams across the country are rapidly integrating flying drones and artificial intelligence programs into their processes and procedures. But one major hurdle is stymying the new tech.
During a multi-day adventure, the author had to navigate a medical dilemma after her boyfriend came down with a life-threatening illness
Like humans, dogs have accidents in the backcountry. So what do you do if your canine hiking companion is in distress?
With Americans surging onto public lands like never before, search and rescue operations are becoming overwhelmed—and help is not on the way
Wilderness pros are trained to deal with physical injuries, but what about the psychological trauma that can result while on an expedition, from fear and stress, or from watching someone die in a fall, an avalanche, or whitewater? Australian psychologist and mountaineer Kate Baecher created a training program to equip guides and athletes with a tool kit to handle the worst mental distress we encounter when we're far from help.
YOSAR members, NPS sources, and other experts help us unpack and understand the uptick in rescue missions inside the iconic California park.
When a person goes missing outdoors, there’s a specific protocol for finding them within the first 24 hours. After that first day, it becomes much tougher.
Harrowing Rescues
Personal accounts of unforgettable missions
Outside editors recall the search and rescue missions unlike any others. Here are the stories that will stay with us forever.
A search and rescue veteran recounts some of the most nail-biting missions on land and water
A recent video shows two hikers stranded on a perilous, extremely steep cliffside in Northern California. It joins a growing list of similar clips depicting people being rescued in the outdoors. Here’s why I can’t stop watching them.
Avery Shawler left her Idaho apartment one morning in 2016 to hike a prominent peak. But the day outing quickly took a turn for the worse, and Shawler would end up needing a lot of luck—and all her backcountry skills—to make it home alive.
A group of the world's best cave divers joined to help save the 12 boys and their coach in one of the most dangerous missions of its kind
How people get lost (and found) in the outdoors