Incident On Longs Peak Resolved

Helicopter evacuation from the summit of Longs Peak.

Courtesy Rocky Mountain National Park

News Release Date: June 4, 2016

Contact: Kyle Patterson, [phone]

At approximately 3:10 p.m. today, Friday, June 3, members of the military group were flown from the summit of Longs Peak.   There were initially ten members in the original group, an eleventh person affiliated with the military went up to assist them.  They did not require any medical treatment from park staff.

Late last night, Thursday, June 2, Rocky Mountain National Park staff were notified that a group of ten people were requesting assistance on Kiener's Route on Longs Peak. The group consisted of a variety of military personnel affiliated with Fort Carson. This group was involved in a climbing training. A few members reported having some degree of distress and were having difficulty continuing up the route. The group was not planning to over-night in the area. The group continued to self-rescue by assisting each other to climb to the summit of Longs Peak.        

Park rangers planned and conducted evacuation efforts from the summit of Longs Peak via helicopter. Fortunately weather conditions were conducive with these efforts.  Park rangers were also planning to assist the group to the summit, if needed. There were forty-three park personnel affiliated with this incident.