On July 27, AVSAR received a call regarding a severely injured climber in the hourglass on Little Bear Peak. The reporting parties witnessed the accident and immediately activated the SOS feature on their Garmin Satellite device. It was reported that the climber had been struck by a microwave-sized rock in the hourglass and fell approximately 30 feet. The climber was not wearing a helmet and was found unresponsive with severe injuries.
AVSAR promptly initiated a response, requesting air assets and mobilizing the team. A request was made to the Colorado Army National Guard for a hoist extraction of the injured climber. A second request was placed to Reach Air Medical to insert team members into the Tobin Basin via helicopter. AVSAR required teams on the scene as soon as possible. Ten team members embarked on the treacherous drive up Lake Como Road in specialized vehicles, loaded with technical gear, while three team members were inserted into the Tobin Basin by helicopter via LIFELINE5, a Reach Air Medical helicopter. The three team members began the climb out of the Tobin Basin to the hourglass to assess the situation, while the reporting parties, including a nurse, stayed with the injured climber, keeping them stable in treacherous terrain.
Upon arrival at Lake Como, teams began redirecting climbers attempting to ascend Little Bear Peak to minimize additional people and hazards on the scene. The teams at Lake Como prepared for a technical lower in case the hoist operation was unsuccessful.
A Colorado Army National Guard helicopter arrived with two rescue technicians to attempt the hoist operation. First, two rescue technicians were inserted to move the climber into a stable flight bag for hoisting. Then, the injured climber was hoisted out with one rescue technician. Following the successful hoist, the injured climber was transferred to the care of LIFELINE5 at the Lake Como Road Helipad for critical medical attention. The climber was then flown to a hospital in the Front Range for immediate care. The COANG Blackhawk returned to the hourglass to hoist the remaining rescue technician out of the field. The three AVSAR team members began their descent down to Lake Como to reunite with the truck teams and exit the area.
AVSAR extends its gratitude to the reporting parties for their critical assistance in staying on the scene for multiple hours to aid the climber’s needs during this critical time.
This mission would not have been possible without the interagency collaboration and cooperation. Special thanks to:
– Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office
– Colorado National Guard
– REACH Air Medical Services
– Alpine Rescue Team
– Colorado Search and Rescue Association – CSAR.