The team logged nearly 3,000 incident hours by Dec. 26, just shy of last year’s total and approaching the county’s 2016 high of 155 incidents, according to Vice Commander Scott Solle.
“In 2025, I wouldn’t say we saw one type of incident more than others,” said Solle, who has been with Search and Rescue since 2019. “I think the difference is we’re climbing the ladder in volume of calls.”
Since 2016, Grand County Search and Rescue has averaged about 133 incidents per year, reflecting a sustained level of activity over that period.
Solle said the 2016 peak was driven in part by staffing shortages within the National Park Service’s search and rescue operations, shifting more rescues in Arches and Canyonlands national parks to the county team. That factor did not play a significant role in 2025, he said, though he estimated the National Park Service continues to handle roughly 100 rescues annually in the area in addition to county responses.
When county and National Park Service rescues are combined, Solle said Grand County would be the busiest county in Utah for search and rescue calls.
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