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Contact: Phil Zichterman, 970-641-2337 x227
Rangers responded to a report of a vehicle that had crashed through the fence at Tomichi Point Overlook and had apparently gone down into the canyon at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Monday afternoon. The reporting party, a Delta Montrose Electric Association Employee reading meters in the park, indicated that he had hiked to the vehicle and found one passenger who was alive and able to communicate.
Upon arriving on the scene about 5:00 p.m., rangers found a gold Kia, four-door sedan wedged between the cliff and the side of the canyon facing upslope about 400 feet below Tomichi Point. The driver of the vehicle, a 31 year old male visiting the area, was alert and oriented when rangers reached him.
Members of the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office and the Montrose Fire Protection District arrived shortly after park rangers to assist with patient care and extrication of the driver from the vehicle. Due to the steepness of the canyon, snow cover, and uneven terrain, resources from the Montrose Sheriff’s Posse Search and Rescue team and park rangers set up a haul system to pull the driver out of the canyon using a litter and a pulley system.
The rescue took about four hours and over two dozen rescuers. The driver of the vehicle was transported to Montrose Memorial Hospital. His condition is currently stable. The National Park Service is still investigating the accident. |
Last updated: February 24, 2015