The arrival of summer means more hikers seeking high-altitude summits — and more rescues when they get into trouble. That was evident this weekend, when a lightning strike on a couple of Colorado hikers resulted in a high-altitude rescue from some of the state’s most experienced first responders.
The rescue began Thursday evening, June 12, when Colorado’s Alpine Rescue Team was dispatched to Torreys Peak. One of the state’s beloved 14ers, this mountain about 40 miles west of Denver rises to over 14,300 feet. A climbing party of two people initially contacted the rescue team after losing their way near the mountain’s summit, the nonprofit group said in a statement.
Alpine Rescue Team maintained phone contact with the two climbers and helped them find their way back to the trail. Just as rescuers were “preparing to stand down,” however, lightning struck the climbing party, incapacitating one of them and injuring the other.
“None of us could think of another time when we were on the phone and a hiker was hit by lightning,” Jake Smith, a spokesperson for Alpine Rescue Team, told GearJunkie. “We suddenly realized we need everybody, and as fast as we can get them.”
A High-Altitude Rescue
This led to a large-scale rescue operation that had to reach the summit of one of the state’s highest mountains.
Alpine Rescue Team coordinated with many agencies, including Clear Creek EMS and Clear Creek Fire, as well as Vail Mountain Rescue Group, Colorado National Guard, and Colorado SAR. Working together, more than 40 rescuers were involved. They called in a Blackhawk helicopter to hoist the incapacitated climber off the mountain and get him to a hospital on Thursday evening. They returned for an airlift of the second climber around midnight.
“A hoist at night at 14,000 feet is a pretty remarkable achievement,” Smith told GearJunkie. “The last time that we had a lightning strike like this was probably nine years ago.”
Of the two hikers, who both live in New York State, one was released from the hospital on Friday. The other remains in critical condition, officials said.
Although the Associated Press initially reported that it was the highest high-altitude helicopter rescue in state history, that’s probably not the case, Anna DeBattiste, a spokesperson for Colorado SAR, told GearJunkie.
“It’s possible that it’s the highest helicopter hoist rescue, but all we can really say is that it’s a very high altitude rescue,” DeBattiste said.
General guidelines for hiking Colorado’s highest mountains suggest reaching — and leaving — the summit before the afternoon, when thunderstorms become more likely. The two climbers were ascending a route on Torreys Peak called Kelso Ridge, which entails route finding and lots of exposure, Smith said.
“There was certainly an aspect of not knowing what they didn’t know,” Smith said of the climbers. “It sounded like they didn’t start super early and didn’t recognize that they’re in a state known for afternoon thunderstorms.”
More Hikers Rescued This Weekend
“This call illustrates how quickly situations change in Colorado’s high country, and the importance of having your 10 essentials and being prepared for a lengthy evacuation,” Alpine Rescue Team said in a social media post. Colorado isn’t the only place where rising numbers of summer hikers result in a greater frequency of rescue missions.
Maple Canyon Rescue
Last week also saw “an incredible rescue” of two hikers who got stranded high on the cliffs of Utah’s Maple Canyon on June 11. One hiker was stuck on a small ledge, with just enough space to hold on while waiting for help.
“With no safe way down and night approaching, our helicopter crew stepped in and brought them both to safety,” Utah’s Department of Public Safety wrote in a post to Instagram showing a POV video of the helicopter rescue.
Mount Washington Rescue
A day later, on Thursday, June 12, an exhausted woman from Quebec needed help evacuating off a trail on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington. That evening, officers with the New Hampshire Fish & Wildlife Department received an alert that a 43-year-old “was suffering from extreme exhaustion and having difficulty moving.”
An officer from the wildlife department joined the Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue Team to hike up the mountain and rescue her. They remained with her throughout the night and “assisted her in walking out under her own power,” according to a news release. During the long hike to safety, air temperatures were around 33 degrees F and winds gusted to over 60 mph.
In the news release, New Hampshire wildlife officials included a timely reminder that applies to most hikers entering the mountains this summer.
“Despite summertime temperatures in much of New Hampshire, Fish and Game wants to remind outdoor enthusiasts that winter-like conditions still exist in the mountains,” officials said.
“The vast majority of the snow has melted, but sub-freezing temperatures still persist on the high, windswept slopes. Anyone venturing into these areas should not only prepare for the conditions while moving and generating heat, but also for sitting still in an exposed area should they become incapacitated.”
“This call illustrates how quickly situations change in Colorado’s high country, and the importance of having your 10 essentials and being prepared for a lengthy evacuation,” Alpine Rescue Team said in a social media post.
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