With over 4 million visitors every year, California’s Yosemite National Park is one of the most popular national parks in the country. With that popularity comes a large number of missions for the Yosemite Search and Rescue members.
Laura sat down with Philip Johnson, a Supervisory Law Enforcement Ranger and long-time member of YOSAR to discuss life in the valley, his observations on stress injuries on the team, and some of the things they have been doing to begin to address stress injuries.
Philip Johnson has performed search and rescue for the NPS since 2002. He is currently a Supervisory Law Enforcement Ranger in the Valley District of Yosemite National Park and a senior member on the Yosemite Helicopter Rescue Team. He has participated in over 300 SAR missions to include over 50 helicopter rescues. He is a two time recipient of the Department of Interior Valor Award.