BASIN, Wyo. — After a record-setting year that included a nearly monthlong search for a missing hiker, Big Horn County Search and Rescue in Wyoming is hoping a national competition could provide equipment the volunteer team says it urgently needs.
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The organization is one of five finalists nationwide in the 2026 Land Rover Defender Service Awards. The winning team will receive a customized Land Rover Defender 130 SUV and a $30,000 cash award, resources volunteers say would help them continue responding to a growing number of emergencies across one of Wyoming's largest and most remote counties.
"Some of these teams, from my understanding, have more followers on their social media than we have residents in Big Horn County," said long-time volunteer Kyle McClure. "We're the underdog here.”
The department, made up of about 60 volunteers split between north and south squads, covers more than 3,100 square miles in the rural Wyoming county. Members respond to everything from mountain rescues and vehicle crashes to swift-water rescues, technical rope rescues, and helicopter hoist operations, all while balancing full-time jobs outside of search and rescue.
"Everybody in the organization right now is a volunteer, 100%," McClure said. "They all have day jobs outside of Search and Rescue. We all do this to give back to our communities."
The team's workload has grown significantly in recent years.
Although fewer than 15,000 people live in Big Horn County, volunteers estimate more than 1 million people visit the Bighorn Mountains each year. McClure said tourism has increased steadily since 2020, bringing more hikers, campers, and outdoor recreationists, and along with it, more calls for help.
“So many people come into our area to recreate," McClure said. "People just underestimate what Big Horn County is as a whole and the remoteness of our area."
Several years ago, the team averaged between 20 and 30 calls annually. Last year, volunteers responded to a record 55 calls, the second-highest call volume among Wyoming search and rescue teams behind Teton County. McClure said the organization is already running 10 to 15 calls ahead of where it was at this point last year.
“We had a record-setting year last year of around 55 calls. We're on pace to beat that," he said.
At the same time, funding has become increasingly difficult. McClure said the team's county funding was cut by roughly 50% following statewide property tax reductions that affected local government budgets.
"We've had to do more with less," he said.
Just weeks after those budget cuts took effect, the department faced one of the largest and most expensive searches in its history.
The 29-day search for missing hiker Grant Gardner required more than 1,300 volunteer hours and cost the county about $60,000. McClure said the previous sheriff estimated the operation would have cost approximately $1.7 million without volunteer labor and assistance from partner agencies.
Related: Body of missing Minnesota hiker recovered in Wyoming mountains
“Probably one of the longest, most man-intensive rescues that we've done,” McClure said. "That one rescue cost us more than what we have for funding for that year."
Volunteers say despite the financial strain, emergencies have continued. They currently rely on a single primary response vehicle to handle most calls, creating logistical challenges when multiple incidents occur simultaneously.
"Just last night, we had back-to-back search and rescue calls," McClure said. "It's a logistical nightmare to try to figure out who's going, how many people are going, and how many teams you can make."
Volunteer Steven Gergely said rising equipment costs have only added to the challenge.
"To purchase just a truck is $800,000, and to equip it, you're talking $1.5 to $2.5 million to fully equip it. It's not cheap," he said. “We just hope that soon we can get these things turned around, but cost of equipment goes up, it never goes down for us."
Winning the Defender Service Award would provide the department with a second rescue vehicle capable of transporting up to eight people, along with victims and rescue equipment into remote areas. The accompanying $30,000 award could also help offset equipment and operational expenses.
The finalists were selected after submitting videos highlighting their organizations' service. The winner will be determined through public voting, which ends Aug. 14.
For the volunteers, however, the mission remains unchanged.
"We've got to do the best we can," Gergely said. "We're not going to give up on the people. We're going to keep going. We will make it work one way or another."
"We're going to keep doing it," McClure said. "Even if I have to walk from Basin up to the mountain, I'm going to keep doing it. But everything that we can do to help fund and help give us the resources that we need to do this high-quality, high-technical job that we do is worth it to me. So every vote counts."
To vote online for Big Horn County Search and Rescue, click here.
