How RECCO technology makes more people searchable in Zermatt

Deutsche Zusammenfassung am Ende des Artikels.

Joined forces between Zermatt Tourism, Air Zermatt and RECCO seek to equip more people in Zermatt with RECCO equipment, making it easier for professional rescue teams to look for missing people in the outdoors year round. But what’s needed to make it work? And what’s the history between the successful collaboration in Zermatt? Read on to find out.

Recco in Zermatt: a success story

On June 29, 2021, Air Zermatt, Zermatt Tourism and RECCO presented the RECCO SAR helicopter detector and their long history of collaboration to Swiss national and local media. The history of RECCO in Zermatt started almost 40 years ago when founder Magnus Granhed met Beat Perren, the founder of Air Zermatt.

“Looking back, this first meeting with Beat was the start of the entire RECCO project. Air Zermatt’s innovative and visionary approach had a great impact on how the story continued.”

RECCO founder Magnus Granhed

In the early 80s Air Zermatt and the rescuers of Zermatt were the first ones to see and believe in the potential of the RECCO technology and they started working with it, which lay the foundation for what RECCO is today: a rescue technology used by professional rescue worldwide.

During rescue missions, time is key

RECCO technology has been used by mountain rescuers and ski resorts worldwide as an electronic avalanche burial search method for many years. With the RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector, the system expands from avalanche rescue of buried people to search and rescue of missing people in the outdoors all year round. The RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector was presented for the first time in 2015 and has since then undergone an extensive development and implementation phase. In Switzerland there are 2 units right now, and one of them at the Air Zermatt helicopter base.

“The big game changer here is the time factor. If we know somebody is wearing a RECCO reflector, we can immediately start searching with the helicopter detector.”

Anjan Truffer, Rescue Officer & Mountain Guide

What’s needed to make yourself searchable?

In order to be searchable by professional rescue teams using the RECCO SAR helicopter detector, one needs to be equipped with a RECCO rescue reflector. Many outdoor products such as jackets, pants or backpacks have integrated RECCO reflectors. In addition to the integrated reflectors, Zermatt Tourism and Air Zermatt also offer RECCO rescue reflectors, which can be attached to a helmet or backpack, in their stores and in the Air Zermatt and Zermatt Tourism online shops.

RECCO is excited to continue our work in Zermatt to further develop the rescue system to look for missing persons year round. Currently there are 21 RECCO SAR Helicopter Detectors globally, with 7 in North America and 14 units deployed across Europe. The latest deployments include Alaska State Troopers (USA), Alpine Helicopters (CAN) and the latest placement in Abruzzo, operated by Italy’s CNSAS.

RECCO Equipment erleichtert dank Reflektoren an der Kleidung die Vermisstensuche für die Bergretter deutlich. Die Erfolgsgeschichte von RECCO begann vor fast 40 Jahren in Zermatt, als Beat Perren, Gründer der Air Zermatt und Magnus Granhed, Gründer von RECCO aufeinandertrafen. Gemeinsam entwickelten sie die RECCO-Technologie, die heute weltweit in der Suche nach Lawinenverschütteten eingesetzt wird.

Dank dem neu entwickelten “SAR Helicopter Detector” kann RECCO aber nun auch ganzjährig in der Bergrettung eingesetzt werden. Einer der beiden in der Schweiz im Einsatz stehenden Detektoren wird von der Air Zermatt für die Bergrettung genutzt. Damit man vom neuen System gefunden werden kann, ist lediglich ein RECCO Reflektor nötig.