(CHAFFEE COUNTY, Colo.) — According to the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) on Saturday, Oct. 5, CCSO and Chaffee County Search and Rescue-North (CCSAR-N) responded to a call involving a man who had fallen 30 feet from the Ellingwood Ridge route on La Plata Peak, suffering injuries that left him unable to walk.
Chaffee County Communications received an SOS from a satellite device on Oct. 5, reporting a medical emergency near La Plata Peak. Shortly after, a 911 call came in from the man who had fallen, saying he was suffering injuries that left him unable to walk. The coordinates placed him at 13,000 feet on difficult terrain.
Due to the technical terrain, Deputy and Paramedic Don Smith requested assistance from the Canon City Helitack helicopter. Smith and a CCSAR-N rescuer were flown close to the injured hiker’s location, where Smith provided emergency care. They used technical rope systems to move him to a safer area, but nightfall prevented an immediate airlift.
A Blackhawk helicopter from the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (HAATS) was called and scheduled to arrive the next morning. Meanwhile, Flight for Life delivered cold weather gear to help the team endure freezing temperatures overnight.
At daybreak on Oct. 6, HAATS successfully rescued the hiker, who was flown to Buena Vista and transferred to a medical helicopter. He was taken to the hospital and treated for a broken back and other injuries.
