Boulder County, Colo. - On Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at approximately 7:28 a.m., the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a climber who had fallen in the area of the Fourth of July Mine and was unconscious.

The initial call was made from a Garmin emergency beacon. Further information was relayed to rescuers stating that the party was near tree line and two miles from the trailhead. Rescuers were flown in to the area by Flight for Life and then hiked about a quarter of a mile to reach the patient. The patient had slid approximately 150 – 200 feet down a steep snow field and suffered serious life threatening injuries. A Nederland Fire Protection District paramedic led the first aid efforts to stabilize the victim.

The Colorado Search and Rescue Association assisted in coordinating the dispatching of a Colorado Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter from the Buckley Airforce Base. The helicopter picked up two Rocky Mountain Rescue Group Rescue hoist technicians in the Fourth of July Trailhead parking area and flew them to the scene.

The Rocky Mountain Rescue Group members assisted in preparing and packaging the patient who was then hoisted to the Blackhawk helicopter and was then flown to the Flight for Life helicopter who transferred the patient to a metro area hospital.

The patient is a male in his early thirties, from the Boulder area. As a result of his fall, the climber suffered numerous injuries, which were determined to be serious.

This was a significant rescue effort due to the steep snow covered terrain and the remote location. Rescue efforts took approximately four hours from the time rescuers were dispatched to when the injured hiker was airlifted from the trailhead.

Agencies assisting with this rescue effort included: Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Nederland Fire Protection District, American Medical Response (AMR), Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, Colorado Search and Rescue Association, Flight for Life Colorado and the Colorado Army National Guard.

The associated Boulder County Sheriff's Office case number is: #19-3232.

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/s/ Deputy Richard Peebles