West Yellowstone, Mont. (June 10, 2025) — Gallatin County Search and Rescue, alongside the Hebgen Basin Rural Fire District, assisted the Yellowstone National Park Service in a rescue operation involving an injured employee of the Custer Gallatin National Forest on Monday afternoon.
The incident occurred during a training exercise involving National Forest Service smokejumpers. Strong winds from an incoming thunderstorm caused one of the jumpers to be blown off course, resulting in a hard landing in a densely wooded area nearly a mile within the west boundary of Yellowstone National Park, approximately seven miles north of West Yellowstone.
Emergency responders quickly mobilized to the scene on foot, utilizing a one-wheeled litter to transport the injured smokejumper, who sustained a significant leg injury. Rescuers provided critical care and prepared the patient for transport.
Due to the severity of the injury, an Idaho Air Methods helicopter was dispatched to the site and successfully landed a short distance from the patient. The injured smokejumper was then airlifted and transported to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for further evaluation and treatment.
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