Two people have died in snowmobile accidents in Teton County in recent days.
Edith Linares Pike, 32, of Stamford, Connecticut, died on Friday, Jan 23, after crashing into a tree on a snowmobile near Granite Creek Road. Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue said the death was ruled an accident.
Joshua Dillon Escamilla, 31, died on Monday, Jan. 26, after hitting a tree on a snowmobile and going into cardiac arrest on Togwotee Pass. Blue was not able to provide Escamilla’s residency at the time of this report and said the manner of death was “pending.”
These are the third and fourth fatalities that Teton County Search and Rescue has responded to this season. Neither was reported to be related to avalanches.
In an online report, TCSAR said crews were called out Friday to Granite Creek initially in response to a different incident.
A 39-year-old male had crashed his snowmobile and rolled about 30 feet down the embankment. Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr said that the incident resulted in a femur fracture and a short-haul before a hospital transport.
The scene turned into a “double rescue” when a call came in from a guided snowmobile party reporting that one of their guests had hit a tree.
“The heli team paused the short-haul operation to transport one volunteer to the scene of the second patient,” the report states.
On Monday, crews responded to a report that a tandem snowmobile in a guided group had crashed into a tree near Togwotee Pass.
Two Teton County sheriff deputies were already in the area and responded on snowmobiles from Togwotee Mountain Lodge. The lodge did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
A TSCAR report stated that crews responded with a helicopter and ground teams while requesting support from two ambulances and a helicopter from Air Idaho.
KHOL was unable to confirm the names of either guiding company and was unable to confirm the status of the other person in Monday’s snowmobile crash by press time.
The volunteer crew said this winter has been a “challenging” one for the region.
“We know that accidents happen and that we all make mistakes. This message is not intended to shame or judge anyone. Just please remember that when you take on a backcountry objective—no matter how big or small—the most important thing is to make sure you come home at the end of the day,” the report stated.
Mental health coordinators sent out a press release last week with resources to help during times of grief.
If you or someone you know is struggling, the Teton Behavioral Health Alliance recommends the following resources:
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: providers free, confidential support for people in distress and those supporting them. Call or text 988 for 24/7 support. https://988lifeline.org/. For immediate emergencies, call 911.
- Mental Health and Recovery Services of Jackson Hole: https://www.mentalhealthandrecoveryjh.org/
- TIPS, Teton Interagency Peer Support, (for first responders and their families) provides education, confidential peer support, and a direct link to mental health professionals for first responders and their families in the Teton County, Wyoming community https://tetontips.org/
- SOAR, Survivors of Outdoor Adventures and Recovery, supports survivors and communities in healing after outdoor accidents. https://www.soar4life.org/
- Climbing Grief Fund provides support to climbers and other mountain recreationists experiencing grief. https://americanalpineclub.org/grieffund
- Avalanche Resilience Project (for Avalanche Professionals and American Avalanche Association members only) provides support and resources for those impacted by mental health challenges associated with avalanches, avalanche work, or avalanche accidents. https://www.americanavalancheassociation.org/resilience-project
The Redside Foundation (for guides only) supports the Health and Strength of the Professional Outdoor Guiding Community https://www.redsidefoundation.org/
