Date: July 20, 2009
Contact: Kyle Patterson, 970-586-1363
Rocky Mountain National Park dispatch was notified at 10:30 a.m. by cell phone of CPR in progress below the summit of Longs Peak. A 62 year old man from Durango, Colorado, was roughly 110 yards from the summit of Longs Peak (14,259 feet) in the “Homestretch” area, when he had a cardiac emergency. Bystanders on scene performed CPR for approximately 30 minutes. It is unclear whether he had summited and was descending. He was hiking with a family member.
A park ranger reached the victim at 11:20 a.m. The victim’s body was flown to a helispot in the Upper Beaver Meadows area of the park at 3:25 p.m. His body was then transferred to the Boulder County Coroner. The victim’s name will not be released until next of kin are notified.
Did You Know?
In 1915, Congress created Rocky Mountain, the nation's 10th national park. Congress created the National Park Service in 1916.