Injured climber airlifted from Rocky Mountain National Park

Jenn Yingling

August 23, 2017

Several rescue agencies saved a male climber from Boulder, who was injured in Rocky Mountain National Park on Monday. (Photo courtesy of Larimer County Search and Rescue)

Several emergency services teams rescued an injured 49-year-old male climber from Rocky Mountain National Park on Monday.

The climber was with a friend who called Larimer County Sheriff’s Office at 11:55 a.m. to inform them that his friend had fallen and suffered a broken leg at the base of the Shark’s Fin of The Crags.

LSCO received the 9-1-1 call. Rocky Mountain National Park rescuers arrived on the scene approximately three hours after the call was made, according to a press release from LCSO. LCSO Emergency Services worked with the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, dispatching a Blackhawk hoist helicopter.

Members from Larimer County Search and Rescue, Rocky Mountain National Park and Rocky Mountain Rescue used a guide line rope system to lower the injured climber, because a hoist operation was not possible.

At approximately 4:00 p.m., the climber was hoisted up by the helicopter and flown to Estes Park Fair Grounds before being transported to Estes Park Medical Center via ambulance for his injuries.

Rescue resources cleared the scene by approximately 8:30 p.m. on Monday evening. The climber is from Boulder.

Collegian news reporter Jenn Yingling can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @jenn_yingling.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly credited the image used to Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. The article has been updated to reflect the correct source of the image, Larimer County Search and Rescue.

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