A man separated from his 15-member office group during an ascent of Mount Shavano in Colorado became disoriented and endured multiple falls during a night amid freezing rain and high winds.
The hiker, part of an office retreat, summited alone and then lost his way, prompting an extensive search and rescue operation.
Incident details and search efforts
As per the report by AP, the incident occurred on Mount Shavano, which stands at an elevation of 14,231 feet (4,338 meters) and is located approximately 153 miles (246 kilometres) southwest of Denver.
The group departed from the trailhead at sunrise on Friday, intending to reach the summit as part of their retreat. The man reached the summit around 11:30 am. However, difficulties arose when he attempted to descend.
Officials stated that the man’s belongings, which he had left in a boulder field to guide his descent, were picked up, causing confusion. His attempts to descend led him into a scree field, an unstable area of rock fragments.
He texted his coworkers for assistance and was instructed to return to the trail.
Shortly before 4 pm, the man texted to indicate he was near the trail. A severe storm then ensued, with freezing rain and high winds, resulting in the man losing his bearings and cellphone service.
At around 9 pm, Chaffee County Search and Rescue was alerted about the overdue hiker.
Despite deploying teams and facing hazardous weather conditions, including high winds and freezing rain, rescuers were unable to locate the man overnight. Even a search helicopter could not find him.
Rescue success and aftermath
The search operation continued into Saturday morning, with rescuers from nearly a dozen agencies mobilized for a large-scale effort. The hiker regained cellphone service and called 911, enabling crews to locate him in a gully.
He reported falling at least 20 times on the steep slopes during the storm, and after the final fall, he was unable to stand.
Once the hiker was extracted from the gully, stabilized, and evaluated, he was transported to a hospital for further medical care. Authorities did not release his name or the full extent of his injuries.
“This hiker was phenomenally lucky to have regained cell service when he did, and to still have enough consciousness and wherewithal to call 911,” search and rescue officials said. “Though he was located in a tertiary search area, it would have been some time before teams made it to that location on their own.”
The hiker, part of an office retreat, summited alone and then lost his way, prompting an extensive search and rescue operation.
Incident details and search efforts
As per the report by AP, the incident occurred on Mount Shavano, which stands at an elevation of 14,231 feet (4,338 meters) and is located approximately 153 miles (246 kilometres) southwest of Denver.
The group departed from the trailhead at sunrise on Friday, intending to reach the summit as part of their retreat. The man reached the summit around 11:30 am. However, difficulties arose when he attempted to descend.
Officials stated that the man’s belongings, which he had left in a boulder field to guide his descent, were picked up, causing confusion. His attempts to descend led him into a scree field, an unstable area of rock fragments.
He texted his coworkers for assistance and was instructed to return to the trail.
Shortly before 4 pm, the man texted to indicate he was near the trail. A severe storm then ensued, with freezing rain and high winds, resulting in the man losing his bearings and cellphone service.
At around 9 pm, Chaffee County Search and Rescue was alerted about the overdue hiker.
Despite deploying teams and facing hazardous weather conditions, including high winds and freezing rain, rescuers were unable to locate the man overnight. Even a search helicopter could not find him.
Rescue success and aftermath
The search operation continued into Saturday morning, with rescuers from nearly a dozen agencies mobilized for a large-scale effort. The hiker regained cellphone service and called 911, enabling crews to locate him in a gully.
He reported falling at least 20 times on the steep slopes during the storm, and after the final fall, he was unable to stand.
Once the hiker was extracted from the gully, stabilized, and evaluated, he was transported to a hospital for further medical care. Authorities did not release his name or the full extent of his injuries.
“This hiker was phenomenally lucky to have regained cell service when he did, and to still have enough consciousness and wherewithal to call 911,” search and rescue officials said. “Though he was located in a tertiary search area, it would have been some time before teams made it to that location on their own.”