STOCKHOLM, Sweden – RECCO, a leading developer of advanced rescue technology, is proud to announce the continued expansion of its RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector network with a recent deployment in Kathmandu, Nepal. This launch makes Nepal the 11th country where the helicopter-carried system is operational. Simrik Air crews, along with other pilots, have been trained and equipped with the system, enhancing their ability to assist in missing person searches.
In January, former head of mountain rescue in Zermatt, Bruno Jelk, rescue specialist Matthias Hofer, and RECCO instructor Tshering Pande Bhote (President of the NMIA) conducted a RECCO SAR training session. The training included three pilots from Simrik Air—Capt. Siddartha Jung Gurung, Capt. Surendra Paudel, and Capt. Bimal Sharma Sapkota—along with six mountain guides from the Nepal National Mountain Guides Association (NNMGA) and Nepalese rescue specialists. The specialists trained were Tshering Pande Bhote, Pimba Tenjing Lama, Tul Singh Gurung, Chhiring Dhenduk Bhote, Abiral Rai, and Dawa Sangay Sherpa. All participants are now fully trained operators of the system.
“The RECCO system appears to be highly helpful for rapid search and rescue operations in the Himalayas,” says Tul Singh Gurung, President, NNMGA. “The RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector will be more effective in search and rescue operations for missing people. Since the helicopter can fly up to 6000 meters, we can also employ the helicopter detector if there are any avalanche accidents up to this altitude. I want to express my gratitude to the RECCO family and to the teaching team.”
The training included low-altitude searches in open terrain around Pokhara and high-altitude searches in conditions of snow and crevasses from Chumrung and Annapurna base camp area. More RECCO SAR operators will be trained in the coming months. The RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector allows rapid, large-area searches for missing individuals year-round, scanning up to one square kilometer in just six minutes. This technology reduces search times and minimizes the time and risk exposure for rescue teams.
Since its launch in 2016, the RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector has expanded the application of the system from winter rescue to all-season use, making it ideal for locating lost hikers, trekkers, and mountaineers. The system complements the RECCO handheld detector and can be deployed across diverse terrains, from lowland forests and bushland to high-altitude mountainous areas.
“The RECCO SAR system will contribute to saving lives here in Nepal. We’ll be able to locate you if you’re carrying a rescue reflector, whether you’re a trekker or a mountaineer in need of rescue,” says Capt. Siddartha Jung Gurung.
For over a decade, RECCO handheld detectors have been utilized in Nepal. In 2012, during the Manaslu avalanche near Camp 3, rescue teams from France and Nepal employed the RECCO detector to assist in locating avalanche victims. Currently, 10 handheld detectors are strategically positioned with rescue partners like NMIA, NNMGA, Simrik Air, Seven Summit Treks, Heli Everest, Imagine Nepal, and Adventure 6000, and dispatched on each 8000m peak base camps at the start of each season, enabling rapid response to avalanches and missing person incidents. Lightweight and portable, these detectors can be carried in a backpack or operated from a helicopter.
Starting with the 2024 climbing season, new regulations require all climbers on peaks above 6,000 meters in Nepal to carry mandatory search-and-rescue equipment. The RECCO reflector is one option that complies with these requirements, ensuring that climbers are searchable in case of an emergency.
“The addition of the RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector in Nepal is an important milestone, to make more people searchable year round,” said Fredrik Steinwall, CEO at RECCO. “Our technology is designed to make rescue operations faster and safer, and with this new system, we’re proud to enhance safety in the Himalayas. Together, we’re better equipped than ever to support local rescue teams and the growing number of adventurers in the region.”
RECCO reflectors are embedded in outdoor gear from more than 150 leading brands, including Nepalese brands like Everest Outfit. Other international partners like SCARPA, Kailas, Millet, Blackyak and Asolo also integrate reflectors into high-altitude equipment. A complete list of partner brands is available at recco.com.
Attachable RECCO reflectors can be purchased online or locally through Samatra Trading, Kathmandu, as well as from NNMGA, NMIA and Everest Outfit shop in Thamel.
For more information, visit the RECCO website.
