The cloudburst flash flood that decimated India’s Dharali village on August 5, 2025, came fast and without warning. Roads, homes, businesses, and infrastructure were swept away and buried under debris. Seven rescue teams are currently using RECCO, a common outdoor technology in winter sports gear, to aid in the search for the 50 people who are still missing.
Search and rescue teams are increasingly incorporating this affordable technology around the world and using it in the summer. In 2015, RECCO launched its SAR Helicopter device to assist in rescue operations like the one in Dharali, India, year-round. It’s also becoming more commonplace outside of winter gear, being incorporated into hiking shoes, mountain bike helmets, backpacks, hydration vests, and more.
But many people, even those who own gear with RECCO in it, misunderstand the technology’s limitations. While it’s widely regarded as a revolutionary technology for SAR, some people quip that it stands for “Recovering Extremely Cold Corpses Occasionally.” RECCO is not a transceiver. It puts out no signal of its own and can’t call for help if you’re in trouble.
So, what does RECCO do, and why is it becoming so important for SAR teams around the world?
The Power Behind RECCO Tech
RECCO was invented in 1983, so it’s been around for a while. While it might seem like an acronym, according to Julia Granhed, a RECCO spokesperson, the name is actually a play on words. It’s a combination of “radar” and “echo.”
The idea was born in the late ’70s after Magnus Granhed experienced a tragic avalanche in Sweden and started tinkering with a better, faster way to locate buried victims.
“From day one, the mission was always very clear: make people electronically searchable for professional rescue teams, with a maintenance-free and cost-effective solution,” Granhed is quoted on the RECCO website.
Since those early days, RECCO has made many advances, but the general concept and purpose have remained largely unchanged.
How RECCO Technology Works
In the simplest terms, a RECCO reflector is a strip of foam that bounces back radar signals sent out by a detector. The goal is searchability, not communication or navigation, so there’s no battery, activation, or maintenance.
It’s essentially just a mirror for radio signals. So, the more garments a person is wearing with RECCO, the better their chances of being found by SAR teams in an emergency.
Rescuers intercept the bouncing signals with handheld or helicopter-mounted devices. They can pinpoint a reflector when they get a ping, almost like echolocation. They’re used worldwide, including at popular ski resorts like Palisades and by rescue operators like Vail Mountain Rescue.
It is important to note that RECCO only works when SAR or rescue teams have a specialized radar detector. Without those, RECCO is completely inept. An avalanche beacon won’t pick up a signal from them. They can’t send out an SOS or text. To be useful, RECCO reflectors need professional rescuers who, in an emergency, could be a long way out.
Granhed said that in 1986, French extreme skier Patrick Vallençant was the first to integrate RECCO reflectors into the clothing of his brand, Degre7. Since then, brands such as Patagonia, Arc’teryx, Decathlon, and SCARPA have followed suit.
Daniel Howlett, an avalanche specialist and a professional SAR worker for 45 years, helped develop the RECCO Rescue Network in the 1990s. He said that RECCO is useful because it helps cast a much wider net much faster.
“We can search so many acres in such a short time,” Howlett said, explaining that a search team can cover 243 acres of terrain in just 6 minutes with a RECCO detector.
How RECCO Stacks Up
Rescue technologies can generally be divided into two groups: active and passive. Passive technology helps rescuers find you, while active technology helps you call for help or find others.
Passive systems, like RECCO, don’t require power or activation. They just make you findable for professional teams. Because it is just a foam reflector, RECCO can be produced and incorporated into gear for a relatively low cost.
Active systems, like avalanche transceivers, PLBs, and satellite messengers, send out their own signals. They are best for immediate or remote emergencies, but they require power and need to be activated to work — otherwise you won’t be findable. Most active rescue technologies are also expensive and technical devices.
| System | How It Works | Active vs. Passive | Rescue/Recovery Time | Best For |
| RECCO | RECCO reflector reflects the signal from the rescuer’s radar, indicating their location | Passive | Minutes to days (requires professionals with specialized equipment) | Organized rescue efforts for lost or buried individuals |
| Avalanche Transceiver | An individual’s beacon in “transceive mode” emits a signal that can be picked up by other beacons in “search mode” | Active | Seconds to minutes (immediate search) | Group, or partner avalanche rescue |
| Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) | Allows you to send an SOS signal via satellite to emergency services, and call for help | Active | Usually hours (depends on satellite response) | General emergencies |
| Satellite Messenger | Allows for two-way messaging with SMS devices & SOS via satellite | Active | Usually hours (depends on the network and response times) | General emergencies, communication |
Safest Way to Play
The safest way to play in the backcountry is to use a combination of active and passive rescue technologies. Neither acts as a replacement for the other. They both have specific purposes and improve your personal safety in different ways. RECCO is usually seen as a complement to other rescue tools.
So bring your beacon backcountry skiing and wear your RECCO-outfitted jacket. Take your SOS communication device hiking, and wear your RECCO-integrated hiking boots. The more layers of protection you have, the better prepared you are for the unexpected.
RECCO in the Field: The Search for Leclerc
Locating lost parties can offer important closure, even if it’s a recovery instead of a rescue, as was the case for Marc-André Leclerc and Ryan Johnson in 2018.
Eeva Latosuo, a Senior Avalanche Educator with Alaska Avalanche School and a member of the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group, was part of the search for Leclerc and Johnson. Latosuo explained RECCO’s role in the SAR operation that took place in Juneau, Alaska.
“When Marc-André Leclerc, the Arc’teryx climber, went missing, there was a delay in actual SAR work because we couldn’t get to the place, to the actual location of the subjects,” she said. Bad weather prevented rescue crews from approaching the area.
Once rescue helicopters could get closer, RECCO was essential in finalizing the location of Leclerc and Johnson. The technology helped spare further dangerous attempts to find them. It also kept fewer people in the field looking for the missing athletes, which made the SAR team safer, too.
“I’ve had too many friends die or get hurt looking for someone,” Howlett said. RECCO helps mitigate that risk for rescue teams.
‘Very Cheap Technology Everybody Can Have’
In the end, the idea behind RECCO comes down to one thing: being searchable. In the case of Dharali village in India, SAR teams are using it in combination with trained sniffer dogs, drones, and teams on the ground to possibly find survivors and recover the deceased. With 50 people still missing, it’s a perfect example of how SAR uses this specialized tool.
Many of these life-saving technologies come with a hefty price tag. While it’s clear that avalanche transceivers serve a unique purpose, avalanche expert Latosuo said, “The value of RECCO is that it’s a very cheap technology everybody can have.”
Howlett reinforced that RECCO technology does not replace other rescue tools. However, because it’s passive technology that can’t be turned off, it’s a firm (and cost-effective) addition — even if the chance is slim that it will save your life.
“It’s a ‘hindsight is 2020’ thing. You don’t think it would have been useful until it is. You won’t know if it’s going to be the tool that will help find you until it happens. Why not have it?” Latosuo, with the Alaska Avalanche School, asked.
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