Atalaya Search and Rescue

Los Alamos Canyon Training - This weekend, Atalaya SAR conducted a complex high angle training scenario at Los Alamos Canyon. After placing a volunteer subject in the deepest void of the canyon, rescuers lowered a litter and an attendant to the bottom of the canyon for initial medical assessment and patient loading.

Teams utilized main lines from both sides of the canyon to conduct a short cross haul to move the load from the patient’s initial location to the north wall of the canyon, then utilized the back-tie system as a guiding line for the raise, helping the litter attendant navigate over multiple benches and breaks on the canyon rock face. This type of rescue system might be utilized in similarly steep and narrow terrain, so the team uses complex high angle scenarios to keep these skills sharp for when the need arises.

Taos Gorge - On Monday, June 22 at 5:45am, Atalaya SAR responded to a call for two stranded boaters in the Rio Grande gorge near Taos. The two subjects were canoeing the lower Taos box section on Sunday afternoon when their boats flipped and were pinned underwater. Most of their gear washed down river, stranding them overnight without food, water, and warm layers.

After establishing a truck anchor, two rescue technicians rappelled from the upper rim, scrambled down the mid-canyon apron, and intercepted the two subjects who had hiked halfway up the gorge. The rescue techs outfitted the subjects with shoes and helmets and provided water and snacks. Topside crews including Taos SAR, Los Alamos Auxiliary Fire Brigade, and Mountain Canine Corps then hauled the subjects and rescuers out of the gorge on high angle rope systems. The subjects were returned safely to their families around 10:30am.

A huge thank you to New Mexico State Police and Taos Pueblo for providing access to the rescue site, which enabled a rapid and direct response to the subjects’ location. This was another great outcome due to the strong coordination and cooperation of northern New Mexico search and rescue teams.

Pecos Wilderness - On Saturday, June 20 at 2:43pm, ASAR was paged for a 39 year old with a broken ankle deep in the Pecos Wilderness. The subject and their partner were hiking near Lake Johnson under Redonda Peak when the subject rolled their ankle in a pesky hole on the trail, rendering them immobile.

Field teams comprised of Atalaya SAR, Skyline SAR, Santa Fe SAR, Albuquerque Mountain Rescue Council, Los Alamos Auxiliary Fire Brigade, Cibola SAR, and NM Mounted SAR deployed from the Winsor Creek Trailhead around 5pm. Two paramedics from Atalaya Search and Rescue made contact with the subject at 8:40pm. After medical assessment and stabilization, the subject was loaded into the litter for the long trail evacuation to a waiting ambulance at the Winsor Creek Trailhead. All teams were out of the field by 2am, with many responders returning home around 4am.

Rescuers logged 12.5 miles and 9 hours on this particularly long and physically demanding mission. It was an excellent example of the collaboration necessary for successful extraction of non-ambulatory subjects from the Pecos Wilderness. Great job to all responders.

🌟 It’s Giving Tuesday! 🌟
Today, we’re asking northern New Mexico to stand with us. So, grab a rope and pull!

Every mission, every training, every hour spent searching for someone’s loved one is powered by volunteers—and by you. Your support helps us stay equipped, trained, and ready to respond when the call comes, day or night, 24/7/365.

If our work has touched you, inspired you, or reminded you of the basic beauty of humans helping humans, we invite you to give what you can today. ❤️

👉 Donate: https://www.atalayasar.org/donate.html
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Together, let’s keep our community safe and vibrant.