The Rocky Mountains have inspired travelers for centuries.

The vast majority of those who visit this vast area might write to their friends, “Having a great time! Wish you were here!” Meanwhile, a few every year invariably find themselves shouting, “Help! I'm in trouble!” And trouble never comes at a convenient time. Search and Rescue: Rocky Mountains gathers the most heart-racing accounts from 1847 to the age of modern rescue technology showcasing the heroism of park rangers, first responders, pilots, and others (some canine) who go out of their way to save people from falling rocks, lightning, boiling hot springs, frigid water, slick ice, wildlife, sudden storms, falls from precipices, or just getting lost.

Included in this compilation are the accounts of:

• Sixteen Grand Teton climbers extracted from a sudden, deadly lightning storm.
• Brain surgery performed at night during a blizzard.
• A woman who was rescued three times in four years in Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains.
• A record 1800-foot sheer descent to rescue a climber with a leg smashed by a rock falling from the Grand Teton.