Custer Search and Rescue says calls are down this summer

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Custer County Search and Rescue (CCSAR) responded to an incident Wednesday near Sylvan Lake where a woman injured her leg while hiking.

“She tripped over some uneven ground and rolled her ankle — not knowing if it was dislocated, sprained or fractured — she knew she couldn’t get up,” said CCSAR Director Sam Smolnisky.

CCSAR was able to locate the woman quickly, and Smolnisky said Custer State Park staff were able to respond quickly and help with getting her to an ambulance.

Extra hands are often needed for these types of rescues.

“Even a really short carryout — you need six people to carry that litter,” said Smolnisky. “Sometimes you need dozens of people so you can rotate people out — you don’t want to just drag them across the ground. They’re hurt — they’re injured and we don’t want cause more damage.”

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Part of what enabled responders to find the woman so swiftly was that she called 911.

Calling or texting 911 gives responders your exact location, said Smolnisky.

“It doesn’t work when you break your leg and then call your friend back in Kansas and then your friend is Kansas calls us,” he said. “Calling or texting 911 is huge.”

Overall, Smolnisky says calls for service this year have been lower than last year.

“We did 123 last summer, which was like 30 more than we normally do,” he said, noting that CCSAR has responded to 75 calls so far this year.

Smolnisky hopes that the decrease in calls is due to people listening to CCSAR’s advice on staying safe — planning ahead, charging phones, telling people where they are going, etc. — rather than just a fluke.

The summer months of June, July and August are definitely the busiest of the year, though Smolnisky notes that later in the year they do get a variety of calls for hunters who’ve gotten lost or injured.

In winter, calls slow but they do still come in, and in these months those calls are complicated by cold, snow and shortened daylight hours.

But winter is still a few months out, and Labor Day weekend is upon us.

“People should get out — they should enjoy the weather — but if you do go out it’s very important to be prepared,” Smolnisky said.

That preparation includes the things already mentioned such as ensuring your phone is charged, but also bringing plenty of water, having a map of sorts and knowing where you are.