October 6, 2023
Photo – Carbon County Search and Rescue Logo – Courtesy CCSR Facebook
Bigfoot99 sat down with Sheriff Alex Bakken and Mike Lujan in Rawlins to talk about Carbon County search and rescue. Lujan works as search and rescue coordinator in addition to running his restaurant in the city.
When a hiker or hunter gets in trouble in Carbon County, they call 911. The emergency service transfers the call to the Sheriff’s Office. Lujan said depending on where in the county the victim is located, Sheriff Bakken will tap either Pat Walliser, of Saratoga, or himself, to put together a search and rescue operation.
Lujan said some rescues require both the east and west divisions to work together. The western coordinator said his team was preparing to utilize their horses to rescue an injured hunter. Lujan said thankfully, the medivac service, Classic Air Medical, was able to retrieve the victim.
Lujan said the medical helicopter is extremely helpful when conducting emergency missions. The western coordinator said the transport service generously donates time to the county when called upon to assist in search and rescue operations.
The Carbon County Search and Rescue team is comprised of more than 80 volunteers from the area. Lujan, the owner of Mike’s Big City Steakhouse, in Rawlins, said the all-volunteer force is pulled from all sectors of society.
Search and rescue volunteers can get called out on a mission at any time of any day. Lujan said if a call comes in, searchers must respond, even on a holiday. Sheriff Bakken said he appreciates the hard work and dedication of every volunteer.
Bigfoot99 asked Sheriff Bakken what type of search and rescue operation is most common. The sheriff said the season dictates the most frequent type of rescue calls.
Lujan said every rescue call is unique. The rescuer described some of the different types of calls he has responded to.
Lujan described one his most memorable rescues. Lujan said on a warm August day, he was called to find a troupe of Boy Scouts lost during a rafting trip on the North Platte River. He said the weather quickly went from 85 degrees to snowing. Lujan said he found the majority of the troupe that evening. He said hypothermia made them behave strangely.
The scouts thought Lujan and his partner were poachers, the restaurateur said, and hid. Confusion is a symptom of hypothermia, Lujan said.
Lujan said one of the adult Scout leaders left the group to find rescue. Lujan said when he and his partner found the man, he was dangerously hypothermic.
Lujan said he performed CPR on the Scout leader for over 40 minutes while the man’s heart repeatedly stopped. The Scout leader was airlifted to Cheyenne where he recovered.
Sheriff Bakken said Carbon County Search and Rescue has responded to 24 calls in total this year. The sheriff said hunting and snowmobile season will surely increase the number of missions his teams will be called on to perform.
Sheriff Bakken said our area has similar numbers of search and rescue calls as the more populated Teton county. The sheriff said Carbon County’s nearly 8,000 square miles of sparsely populated land is very popular with hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts.
Lujan said the best way to be safe when in the wilderness is to avoid needing to be rescued in the first place. Take precautions, be smart and be prepared. If you do require assistance, Lujan explained some ways to make rescue more likely while traveling in the back county.
Lujan also suggested getting a Spot GPS if you’re planning on going places without cell signal. He said if you get into trouble, the subscription-based device will send out a distress signal and alert nearby emergency services of your location.
