Search and Rescue with Recco and Air Zermatt
May 19, 2022
3 min read
More than 1,000 rescues have already been conducted in 2022 by Air Zermatt AG. With more people searching for peace or adventure in the mountains, this number is rising continuously.
The helicopter pilots, paramedics, and other professionals of Air Zermatt, are the first responders when mountain emergency calls come in. As there are more and more hikers and mountain adventurers in the area, the number of emergencies has increased. Locating lost or hurt individuals can be difficult in the harsh alpine environment. Recco® reflectors can make the search process much easier and faster.
Many of us know that RECCO® reflectors are used in winter gear, but why end there?
Speaking to Robi Andenmatten, pilot at Air Zermatt, the benefits of wearing RECCO® in summer is simple: “The more people wear RECCO® reflectors, the higher the chance we can use this technology to find people.”
HOW DO RECCO® REFLECTORS WORK?
Recco® reflectors are often found in mountain equipment such as jackets and pants from Helly Hansen. The reflector can also be an external one that you attach to your helmet or backpack. If a search & rescue helicopter sets out to find you, a RECCO® SAR Helicopter Detector is used. The detector sends out a search signal. If this signal hits a RECCO® reflector on the ground, the radar signal echoes back. When receiving a returned signal, the rescuer can then locate the lost individual – the closer the detector gets to the reflector, the stronger the signal. This way, large areas can be covered very fast. When searching from a height of about 100m, a search corridor of 100m width is covered, meaning rescuers can search one square kilometer in a mountainous environment within six minutes!
If we, as rescuers, had a free wish, it would be for everyone to wear RECCO® reflectors. Then everyone would be searchable. That would make our lives much easier and also their lives, as we would be much faster in finding people.
AIR ZERMATT LOCATES LOST INDIVIDUALS USING RECCO® SAR
Recco® enables search & rescue professionals, such as Air Zermatt, to locate lost individuals much faster. Imagine instead having to find someone without knowing their exact location, possibly not even the route they might have taken! Add in bad weather and limited visibility, possibly searching by foot. In the worst cases, this can strongly affect your chances of being found and thereby your life expectancy in case of an emergency.
When an emergency call comes in, the dispatcher sends off a helicopter, teamed with a pilot, a paramedic and a rescue professional. The RECCO® SAR detector is attached to the bottom of the helicopter and operated from inside it.
“Inside the helicopter, we have the pilot flying, a flight operator and myself as a mountain rescuer, running the RECCO® SAR via a remote. All of us have headphones to listen to the receiving signal. As you get into the vicinity of the reflector, a faint beep appears and the closer you get, the stronger and louder the signal is.” (Anjan Truffer, Mountain Guide and Director of Zermatt Mountain Rescue)
Once the individual is located, the rescue begins. If the situation and the space allows, a rescue helicopter will land. Often, this can not be done due to limited space, weather or trees. In that case, paramedics rappel to the ground. They will assess the injuries and most often take the individual directly to hospital.
IN AN IDEAL WORLD, EVERYONE WOULD BE WEARING RECCO® REFLECTORS
In 2021, we introduced RECCO® reflectors in our mountain equipment. Our goal is to help people working and living in the harshest environments stay safe. You can only focus 100% on the task at hand if you can fully trust your equipment. We now support the work of thousands of professionals in search & rescue operations by providing gear with RECCO® reflectors throughout our winter as well as our summer collection.
RECCO® HELPS, IT DOESN’T REPLACE SMART PLANNING AND EXPERTISE IN THE MOUNTAINS
Adding this additional means of safety should not in any way change your preparation and behaviour in the mountains, nor should it lead to skipping other safety measures.
Explore the Helly Hansen Mountain Collection and visit RECCO® to find out more about the technology!
April 22, 2025 6 min read
RNLI Mayday Fundraising Partnership
We're working with the RNLI to raise funds to keep brave lifesavers kitted and trained to deal with emergencies.
December 19, 2024 7 min read
Behind the scenes at the world’s hardest downhill: The Streif in Kitzbühel
Insanely steep and incredibly difficult: Meet the crew that creates the most legendary downhill race in the world.
November 19, 2024 3 min read
Giving Tuesday 2024: Helly Hansen gives back to Big City Mountaineers
This Giving Tuesday, save on gear and give young people the gift of adventure! We're donating 5% of US online sales on December 3 to Big City Mountaineers.
December 14, 2023 4 min read
Made for high performance alpine skiing: The World Cup Infinity Insulated Ski Jacket
As official clothing partner to the Norwegian Alpine Ski Team, we developed the World Cup Infinity Insulated Ski Jacket to keep the team warm from the lift to the mountaintop and all the way up until the moment that could define their career.