In June, three kids headed off for an adventure. They stopped at Walmart, bought an inflatable raft and headed down to the Shoshone River Canyon, west of Cody. The boys were in over their heads, literally.

When the inevitable happened, Park County Search and Rescue raced to the scene.

Two of the boys were able to get out safely, but one wasn’t so lucky said Bill Brown, the organization’s coordinator and only paid employee.

“One of them got churned through a pretty good rapid,” Brown said. “He was lucky to survive.”

June is not a good time to challenge the river, as snowmelt is at its peak and the rivers are at the most dangerous stage of the year: high and violent.

As folks continue to turn to the great outdoors for family fun in record numbers, Park County Search and Rescue is finding themselves understandably busier. But this year has the team running.

This time last year the team of highly trained volunteers had responded to nine emergency calls. Thus far in 2024, they’ve responded to 23 emergencies, or more than three per month.

The rescue scenarios are far from ordinary for most first responders. Many rescues come in wilderness locations, in freezing or brutally hot conditions and require ATVs, long hikes or horses to get to the scene. The team has specialists willing to volunteer to climb cliffs or brave swift water rescues to save lives. Amazingly, each and every rescue attempt is free of charge for the victims.

But the increased business is stressing some of Park County Search and Rescue’s resources. ATVs and vehicles are aging, expensive climbing ropes need replacement, protective clothing and multiple rescue systems are either improved to help the volunteers or need replacement after treks into the unforgiving landscapes in the region.

Recently the team was able to purchase new and much improved thermal scopes that can locate a missing person far away with greatly improved battery life, said Ken Lichtendahl, a former volunteer.

“[The old system] was a big clumsy thing,” Lichtendahl said. “The battery didn’t last more than a half-an-hour, and when you shined it on a hillside you had to be within 100 feet [to get results].”

Even then, you couldn’t differentiate between a passed out victim and a raccoon, he said. The two new scopes work up to a mile, are able to pinpoint exact locations, can take still photos and video and are smaller than a spotting scope and can be used by hand instead of a tripod.

Each scope costs about $3,500 — more than the budget given to the organization annually could stand. The $48,000 covers the cost of running the Cody headquarters, mission expenses, repairs and some equipment.

“It’s a fiscal year thing,” Brown said. “I can’t, in August, decide I want to spend $10,000 on a piece of equipment, because we may need that money the rest of the year.”

Lichtendahl and his wife Kathy were volunteers for the organization from 2000 to 2012. Now they are again volunteering, this time to raise awareness for the team and to raise much needed donations for the organization’s foundation. The mission of the Park County Search & Rescue Foundation is to ensure their readiness to respond with appropriate resources when needed. The foundation’s aim is to connect the philanthropic community with a way to provide financial support to PCSAR in furtherance of their mission to improve quality of life and public safety.

There are many current needs. One of the team’s trucks is in need of replacement, which is a major expense, and both of their ATVs are old and becoming unreliable. The last thing the team needs is to require rescue while in the process of racing to the scene of an emergency.

The foundation also wants to focus on mental wellness among teammates to respond to any emotional trauma volunteers have after extremely sad duties, as well as anything that can help make the missions more successful.

“Our volunteer team is on call 24/7, 365,” Lichtendahl said. “It’s a big, big commitment.”

The foundation is sponsoring an open house on Sept. 7 from 4-7 p.m. at the Kirk Waggoner Search and Rescue Building, 721 15th St. in Cody. They are planning to serve hamburgers, hot dogs, sides and soft drinks and activities for the entire family — including letting visitors challenge themselves on the organization’s built-in climbing wall.

The tour of the facilities will shine a light on the commitment of the team and the results of past years’ fundraising.

“Our first goal here is to accomplish more outreach in the community, answer questions and show the community what’s here,” Lichtendahl said.