Imagine you’re backcountry skiing in the Wasatch. You trigger an avalanche that sweeps you down the mountain, strains you through a stand of Aspen trees where you suffer broken bones and internal injuries. You exit the trees and the slide works you down into a terrain trap where you’re buried under several feet of snow. Your friends dig you out and clear your airway, but your injuries are so severe, every minute counts for survival. Who is going to save you? That’s where Wasatch Backcountry Rescue comes in.
Wasatch Backcountry Rescue (WBR) is a non-profit Utah organization dedicated to provide life-saving rescue and recovery services to the general public who get in trouble in the Wasatch. The WBR team includes professional ski patrols throughout the Wasatch as well as the Utah Department of Transportation, Park City Powder Cats, and the Wasatch Powderbird guides. These volunteers all train, test and respond to accidents together. Another valuable member of the WBR team are the rescue dogs.
Dog Teams are an integral part of WBR. Canines help responders at avalanche sites by locating, recovering, and evacuating victims quickly. In fact, according to WBR, a single canine team can do the job of more than 150 people searching with probes in rock-hard avalanche debris. But training and supporting these dog teams takes money. To help support WBR and the Wasatch Rescue Dogs, they are holding a fundraiser on Thursday, November 6th at the Sandy Station nightclub and event center. There will be a raffle, prizes and the unveiling of Wasatch Rescue Dog. The Wasatch Brewery will be on hand slinging beers.
Sandy Station is located at 8925 South and 225 West in Sandy, Utah. For more information about Wasatch Backcountry Rescue and the rescue dogs, visit wbrescue.org