Video Shows Dramatic Rescue Of Injured Hiker Off Mount Sneffels
By Rebekah Gonzalez
August 4, 2021
The Ouray Mountain Rescue Teams (OMRT) shared video footage of their dramatic rescue of an injured hiker stuck on Mount Sneffels.
OMRT responded to the trailhead on Friday, July 30, at around noon when they received a distress call.
CBS4 reports that the call was immediately followed by a cancel notification.
The team had to wait until 3:00 P.M. because of a heavy thunderstorm and lightning.
According to the team, the hiker fell from the summit and landed on boulders between the summit and Lavender col.
When the team finally reached the injured man, they encountered more rain which they called "a torrential downpour with hail and lightning in the immediate vicinity."
Video clip of the hoist rescue operation on 7/31 at 13,800' on Mt. Sneffels with the help of Colorado National Guard Mountain Rescue Aspen Our team is made up entirely of volunteers and we are donor funded. https://www.ouraymountainrescue.com/donate
Posted by Ouray Mountain Rescue Team, Inc. on Tuesday, August 3, 2021
According to CBS4, the mountain is 14,158 feet tall and the rescue took place just a few hundred feet below at 13,800 feet.
The team stayed in the area for the night while another team brought them extra supplies like food, water, and oxygen for the injured hiker.
However, those supplies didn't arrive until after midnight because of mudslides and slippery trail conditions.
Nearly seven hours later, a Colorado National Guard flew in to hoist the hiker off the mountain.
The hiker was then transferred to an air ambulance which took him to a hospital. Details about the hiker's injuries were not released but the person is reportedly in stable condition.