Tribute

"Welcome to our tribute page, a dedicated space honoring the extraordinary individuals who served on Yosemite Search and Rescue and are no longer with us. This page is a testament to their unwavering dedication, courage, and the profound impact they made within the Yosemite community and beyond. Brief biographies and obituaries you find here shares the stories of their lives, their heroic efforts, and their contributions to saving others while embracing the spirit of adventure and service that defines YOSAR. We remember and celebrate their legacy, ensuring their memory lives on in the heart of Yosemite and in the stories of those who knew and admired them."

  • Photo By: David Murphy

    Chris Gay | Photo by: David Murphy

    01/07/1985 - 10/15/2024

    YOSAR 2019 - 2024

    On October 15, 2024, Yosemite Search and Rescue Team member Chris Gay died in an accident on Mariuolumne Dome. This is a profound loss for the YOSAR family and for all of us here in Yosemite National Park.

    Chris was a true Yosemite Search and Rescue hero and valued member of our SAR team. He would drop everything to help his friends, teammates, or visitors in need. Over the past nine years he responded to 179 SAR incidents, and many other incidents including his most recent deployment for hurricane response, where he made significant, lasting, positive impacts across the nation.

    Chris spent years exploring our mountains and other ranges around the world with a quiet and friendly presence wherever he went. As a climbing steward, he shared his desire to climb routes with Lord of The Rings references and taught and shared his love of climbing and the park to others. During quieter times, those who got to experience his musical talents were always in for a real treat.

    We wish Chris safe passage on his journey to Valinor – J.R.R.Tolkien’s "Land Across the Sea"--a place for the immortals.

  • Dean Potter | Photo By: Dean Fidelman

    04/18/1972 - 05/16/2015

    YOSAR -

  • Niels Tietze | Photo By: Dan McDevitt

    1981 - 2012

    YOSAR 2011 - 2012

  • Micah Dash | Photo By: Dean Fidelman

    1977 – May 20, 2009

    YOSAR

  • Zach Orman

    12/01/84 - 04/07/13

    YOSAR