Search and Rescue

SAR squads across the country rely on volunteer manpower to save lives. Experts share tips for how to join your local team.

A Tahoe avalanche expert explains how the state’s fickle winter weather has changed the way guides assess risk in the mountains.

Damon Petrie, 60, mysteriously vanished in December 2025 near southern Oregon’s Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. A hiker just found his body in the woods.

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.

Outside editors recall the search and rescue missions unlike any others. Here are the stories that will stay with us forever.

Inside the world of search and rescue—from what it’s really like on the ground to the harrowing rescues that stay with us forever.

A backcountry skier in Colorado suffered an unusual—and potentially deadly—injury.

Three dogs were rescued from a remote gully near Texas Canyon, a popular climbing area near Santa Clarita, California. Watch the now-viral video where responders describe their heartwarming rescue.

Winter climbing in Mount Rainier National Park is technical and, when paired with extreme weather conditions, can turn deadly in an instant.

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.

Despite its deathly reputation, Mount Baldy is oftentimes neither a particularly precarious mountain nor an especially treacherous trail. Why, then, do so many people perish on the 10,000-foot peak?

Rescuers battled high winds to reach the sole surviving climber, who spent several harrowing hours on a precarious, rocky ridgeline. After dark and out of options, one simple tool helped responders find her.

Cattle dogs are known for their intense intelligence and limitless loyalty, so it should come as no surprise that one named Cami is credited with saving her owner’s life. Did we just find our good dog of 2026?

YOSAR members, NPS sources, and other experts help us unpack and understand the uptick in rescue missions inside the iconic California park.

An Arizona man recently saved an injured pooch from the slopes of a steep and crumbling peak. Here’s what it was like.

In November, a blizzard with hurricane-force winds struck a popular hiking route in one of Chile’s most visited tourist destinations. Five people died. David Zonshayn, an emergency physician from New York, was on the trail when it happened. Here is his story.

A recent report published by the state’s Fish and Game Department pulls no punches in its assessment of two hikers who got stuck on a mountain and required lifesaving

This year, Everest's death toll dropped dramatically. Meet the rescuers responsible.

With the memory of an elephant and instincts of a seasoned first responder, researchers say this four-legged robot could be the future of backcountry rescue. But are we ready for it?

The 75-year-old experienced outdoorsman was a ritualistic coffee drinker, which makes him leaving behind a full cup with creamer—alongside his wallet, phone and keys—all the more bizarre. Those close to Pachak tell Outside that he seems to have disappeared without a trace.

Inexperienced skiers and snowboarders are following TikTok videos into Vermont’s snowy backcountry, putting them in potentially dangerous terrain at a time of year when snowpack is notoriously unreliable

After thick clouds grounded a rescue helicopter, firefighters performed a risky, high-angle rescue to save a hapless hiker who had scrambled onto a rock fin.

An elderly woman who recently became stranded while mushroom hunting raises an important question: Are foragers, especially those seeking prized fungi, at a higher risk of getting lost than other outdoor enthusiasts?

A recent tragedy in Colorado wasn't an anomaly. From drowning in quarries to stumbling into open pits, hundreds have died in vacant mines across the United States since 2000.

Some quick thinking by a friend saved a fallen hiker on a steep mountain in Colorado. Rescuers still had to brave treacherous terrain to save him.

After training to detect odors under water, the aquatic animal has become a useful tool in the effort to locate missing people. He’s also super cute.

The incident occurred at Grand Canyon West, a private tourist destination located on the Hualapai Reservation

Ron Dailey was supposed to be gone for just a day when he set out on a hunting trip. Alone and cold in the backcountry, he survived 20 days on just 900 calories.

Unstable snow and fluctuating weather conditions brought on by Cyclone Monica are believed to have caused the avalanche. Five tourists and ten Nepali high-altitude guides set out roughly an hour before the slide occurred near the base camp of Yalung Ri Peak.

The hiker was rescued while attempting the Kalalau Trail, a challenging 22-mile round-trip trek from Ke’e Beach to Kalalau Beach. The 22-mile round-trip trek offers the only access to the rugged coastline of the renowned Nāpali Coast.

A helicopter attempting to evacuate tourists flipped over while trying to land near the world’s highest summit. Tropical cyclone Montha has brought heavy snowfall into the region, and officials have closed trekking routes around Everest and the surrounding peaks.

The 99 Switchbacks is a 2.2-mile section of the route that gains 1,800 feet of elevation as it quickly zig zags upwards. Recent snow made this part of the mountain particularly perilous over the weekend.

The latest search and rescue report from Southwestern Colorado involves a late-night rescue in deep snow

Officials said the hikers were “ill-prepared” for winter weather. New Hampshire is one of the few to levy fines on rescued hikers deemed to have entered the wilderness unprepared. Could they pay?

Arizona is among the states with the highest number of lightning deaths and injuries. Severe weather—including lightning, hail, and heavy rain—can occur unexpectedly and frequently at high elevations, particularly in the northern part of the state.

During a multi-day adventure, the author had to navigate a medical dilemma after her boyfriend came down with a life-threatening illness

The Citadel is a technical 13er—a classification of mountains that exceed 13,000 feet—and is considered to have a standard Class 3 approach with 3,005 feet of elevation gain. The rescue occurred in technical Class 4 terrain, further complicated by high winds, making landing zones near the summit unsuitable.

With sweeping vistas and steep elevation gains, Shadow Mountain Trail is a 2.6-mile loop just outside of Phoenix. Experts say it’s best to hike during the cooler parts of the day, but losing light on the trail can be just as dangerous as overheating.

Responders spent six hours rescuing the two, who were stuck on a sheer and rocky couloir deep in the Sierra Nevada

Although BASE jumping is not allowed in national parks, sources tell Outside the activity is not all that uncommon.

Alex Honnold announces he will free solo a skyscraper live on Netflix, plus one missing hiker was rescued using a simple, inexpensive tool. Outside has you covered in this edition of our weekly news roundup.

A hiker was just rescued from a Colorado peak after blowing a simple rescue whistle. The lesson? Satellite messengers are great, but low-tech tools have their place in a safety kit, too.

Family members of one of the missing hunters confirmed the news on September 18

Ultimately, responders said the incident was a preventable waste of time and resources

The 27-year-old broke his ankle after falling into a deep glacial crevasse known as a bergschrund

Six questions to ask yourself before adventuring into the outdoors, according to the National Park Service.

Yosemite climbing legend Kate Kelleghan breaks down the national park crime drama's major discrepancies between TV and reality

On average, three hikers have died every day throughout the summer in Italy’s high peaks. Experts explain why.

Officials in Italy used a combination of flying drones and AI software to locate the remains of a man who vanished in September

A 31-year-old hiker in Washington State is lucky to be alive after suffering serious injuries in a fall. His screams for help led to a rescue.

Two years after our colleague argued the merits of the tiny dogs, a glacier rescue in Switzerland adds considerable clout to his take

Officials say a 60-year-old woman was found approximately six miles into the race. Her cause of death is unknown.

Four rescues in June prompted SAR squads to issue a request to pet owners: “these pup emergencies can be prevented.”

Five distress calls in seven days prompted the local search and rescue team to warm visitors to hike with caution

Officials have reminded the public that summer conditions can quickly become dangerously cold and windy atop the 6,288-foot peak

After seeing a dramatic uptick in search and rescue calls, an official in southern Washington is threatening to charge hikers who are deemed to be negligent

Search and rescue teams believe the mission to save the stricken hikers resulted in the highest helicopter medevac in state history

A medevac crew in southern Colorado completed a helicopter rescue on the 14,055-foot mountain, which was recently reopened to hikers

Search and rescue teams recently conducted 13 helicopter rescues over a seven-day span. A SAR leader blames the uptick on a detour to a vital hiking route.

Rescuers issue a warning to hikers across the country as fast-flowing streams and cascades surge with spring snowmelt

Two hikers are lucky to be alive after one of them plummeted down a cliff along Northern California’a famed trekking route

Lots of visitors find themselves off track, whether they're chasing Instagrammable moments too far, facing unpredictable weather and variable terrain, or simply lacking preparation. Here’s why this seems to be happening—and how to trek safely when you go.

A rescue story from Southern Utah has a happy ending—thanks to a discarded bag filled with survival gear

After a terrible crash, BASE jumper Alenka Mali spent hours dangling from a cliff. Here is her story in her own words.

It’s been a busy start to 2025 for search and rescue crews in the popular Nevada park. They recently saved another fallen climber.

When a hunting dog became stranded, the Mesa County Search and Rescue team embarked on an intense 13-hour mission to free her

Backcountry rescuers are praising an innovative kids’ tracking device for helping them locate a missing father and son

After SAR rescued two heavily-laden, inexperienced hikers from the lower 48’s highest peak, they had some strong advice to share with anyone thinking of following in their footsteps

Claire Nelson was more than a mile off the trail when she fell 30 feet in Joshua Tree National Park

Like humans, dogs have accidents in the backcountry. So what do you do if your canine hiking companion is in distress?

Some of the AT’s most famous towns and their residents bore the worst of Helene’s damage. Hikers who were on trail discuss the moment that the storm hit—and locals contemplate the long recovery ahead.

A hiker suffered severe burns after falling into a hydrothermal feature this week. The park responded with a reminder that its hot springs are its deadliest feature.

After a jump off Yavapai Point ended in tragedy, we asked an expert to help us understand what happened

On Tuesday, a horse slid off the side of a popular backcountry trail, falling 30 feet into a ravine

Last week a trio of climbers from Malaysia became stranded on Denali in Alaska. Guides and rescuers recount how they spent multiple days trying to save them.

I report on a lot of SAR calls and this Mazama debacle is one of the weirdest rescue stories I’ve ever heard