Teton County Search and Rescue sends helicopter to help recover body on Colorado's Longs Peak
JACKSON (WNE) — Teton County Search and Rescue sent its helicopter to Colorado at the tail end of Independence Day weekend for a “very technical high elevation body recovery” on Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park.
That’s according to Sheriff Matt Carr, who oversees Search and Rescue’s operations.
A person was found dead Sunday afternoon on the Kiener’s Route along the rugged upper east face of the approximately 14,259-foot mountain, according to the Sky-Hi News.
The Boulder County, Colorado, coroner identified the person as Jeffrey Carlin. No other demographic information was available and cause of death had not yet been determined. Carlin was dead when rescuers responded.
The Search and Rescue helicopter is specifically designed for high elevation operations, which made it uniquely equipped for the Longs Peak rescue, Carr said.
The helicopter left Sunday afternoon and returned mid-morning Monday, Carr said. Carr sent the chopper to Colorado, knowing Search and Rescue could use a contracted helicopter if it needed to respond to a local accident.
“We always want to go out and help,” Carr said. “We want to always support our partner agencies, and we were glad to be able to help.”
It’s not the first time Search and Rescue has sent its helicopter to help rescuers near Rocky Mountain National Park. In 2024, rescuers traveled to Grand County to help recover the body of a deceased trail runner in the Indian Peaks Wilderness.
This story was published on July 10, 2026.
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