SALIDAS, Colo. (Gray News) – A man rescued on a Colorado mountain was lost overnight after his co-worker left him behind during a hike on an office retreat.
A group of 15 hikers on an office retreat left the Blanks Cabin trailhead at sunrise on Aug. 29, according to a Facebook post from the Chafee County Search and Rescue – South team.
One group set off to the summit of Mount Shavano, and another hiked to the mountain pass between Mount Shavano and Mount Tabegauche.
“In what might cause some awkward encounters at the office in the coming days and weeks, one member of their party was left to complete his final summit push alone,” CCAR-South said.
The man sumitted the mountain alone and reached the peak at about 11:30 a.m. However, he reportedly became disoriented on his way back down.
At some point, he found himself in a steep boulder field on the slopes toward Shavano Lake.
Concerned for his safety, he sent his location to his coworkers. They reportedly told him had gone the wrong way and that he needed to hike back up to rejoin the trail.
The man continued with his descent. At about 3:50 p.m. he sent his location again to his co-workers, letting them know he was back on the ridge between the two mountains and near the trail.
However, just after he sent the message, a storm passed through with freezing rain and high winds. The man reportedly disoriented again in the storm and lost cell service.
CCAR-South was activated at about 9 p.m. and deployed two teams and a drone pilot, starting at the same trailhead. They focused their search on the Mount Shavano standard route to the man’s last known location and the Shavano Lake/Squaw Creek drainage.
High winds and freezing rain hindered their search, making it impossible for searchers to safely summit the mountain and causing problems for the drone pilot.
A helicopter was also deployed but couldn’t make out any other lights besides those of the search teams.
Crews searched throughout the night until 9 a.m. the next day but couldn’t find a trace of the missing man.
At about 10 a.m., a second search was launched with more resources and assistance, which included several other rescue teams from nearby counties.
As the crews began a larger search effort, the missing man regained enough cell service to call 911. Thanks to his call, crews were able to locate him above the North Fork drainage, in a gully below Espirit Point.
According to officials, the man reportedly said he became very disoriented on his way down the mountain and fell several times down the steep slopes below Espirit Point toward North Fork. It was reported that after his last fall, he couldn’t get back up but fortunately had enough cell service to call for help.
After locating the man, crews worked to rescue him, using a rope system to extract him.
“CCSAR cannot adequately express our thanks to our SAR partners from around the state who arrived to assist us with this call,” the rescue service said.
He was transported to the hospital for additional care. CCAR-South did not comment on the man’s condition.
CCAR-South said the man was “phenomenally lucky” to have regained cell service and be able to call 911. They advised hikers to take the proper precautions when visiting the backcountry.
“We’d also again like to remind everyone recreating in the backcountry to always hike with a partner, pack some bright clothing and remember to toss the 10 Essentials in your daypack,” they said.
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