Rescue Incident Underway at Rocky Mountain National Park

Rescue team with injured skiier at the Bear Lake Trailhead following his evacuation from the backcountry in Rocky Mountain National Park.

NPS Photo

News Release Date: January 12, 2011

Contact: Kyle Patterson, 970-586-1363

Update 9:26 p.m.:
Rescuers reached the Bear Lake Trailhead at 6:30 p.m. the patient was taken to Estes Park Medical Center by ambulance and flown to Medical Center of the Rockies. No further information is available. We will not be releasing his name tonight.

At 1:00 p.m. this afternoon park rangers were notified by cell phone that a 55-year old male from Chicago, Illinois, took a significant tumbling/sliding fall reported to be approximately 900 feet while backcountry skiing near the east face of Flattop Mountain on "The Drift." He was skiing with two others.

Rangers left the Bear Lake Trailhead at approximately 2:00 p.m. and reached the man around 3:00 p.m. The man has numerous injuries. The rescue is taking place at roughly 10,600 feet. There are 11 park staff including two park medics on scene.  Rescuers began coming down the slope and snowpacked trail with the man in a sled type litter at 4:50 p.m. Rescuers are facing extremely cold temperatures, high winds and white out conditions. Nine members of Larimer County Search and Rescue will be leaving the trailhead soon to assist the group coming down to the trailhead.