In the latest newsletter from Routt County Search and Rescue, the team highlighted the scale of their effort over the first 10 months of 2025.

Year-to-date, the team reports responding to 52 calls for service, 1,485 hours spent on rescue missions, and 2,161 hours spent training. Most impactful, however, was that a reported eight lives were saved.

The newsletter continues to highlight seven notable missions that the team was involved with, ranging from missing persons cases to saving injured subjects in the backcountry.

One particular mission that stands out took place during an early-season winter storm between September 23 and September 24, involving 19 various agencies looking for a missing person, including Routt County Search and Rescue.

According to their report, a person was separated from his party in the vast and remote Rawah Wilderness on the afternoon of September 22 with a serious winter storm settling into the area later that evening.

Weather conditions ultimately brought between 10 to 18 inches of fresh wet snow to the area, adding a layer of complication to the effort.

The first day of searching on September 23 didn’t yield results, as multiple ground and aerial teams scoured the area. With the search called off that evening, the rescue subject would spend another night lost in the backcountry.

The following day, crews hit the field again, and just after noon, the individual was able to call 911 and make contact with rescuers. A Firehawk helicopter was able to locate him, picking him up and returning him to the trailhead.

Despite staying two nights in snowy alpine terrain, the hiker’s preparedness and ability to stay calm proved hugely beneficial in the mission’s success. This was one of many examples provided of a life potentially being saved thanks to the effort of Routt County Search and Rescue personnel and other search and rescue-related organizations around the state.

Find the full newsletter here, which shares additional stories and details.

If you’re interested in helping to support Colorado’s volunteer-powered search and rescue effort, learn more here.