15 workers on office retreat hiked up a mountain — and one got left behind

Search and rescue teams utilized a litter connected an all-terrain instrumentality to bring a stricken hiker to safety. The man had inadvertently been near down connected an agency retreat hike. (Teller County Search and Rescue)

An agency retreat successful nan Rocky Mountains of Colorado devolved into a worst-case script for 1 of nan 15 workers this past weekend: He sewage separated from his colleagues, who activity successful nan security industry, and he was near to find his ain measurement down done a mountain’s steep terrain.

The man became mislaid and ended up spending nan nighttime connected nan broadside of Mount Shavano, wherever he was pelted by precocious winds and freezing rain. And because he fell many times connected nan rocky and steep terrain, rescue teams had to usage a stretcher to get him disconnected nan upland aft he was yet located connected Saturday.

The nightmarish ordeal “might origin immoderate awkward encounters astatine nan agency successful nan coming days and weeks,” said Chaffee County Search and Rescue South, which led nan effort to retrieve nan man.

The hunt and rescue team, which is operated by volunteers, didn’t place nan man, telling NPR he is successful his 50s.

“I do want to authorities nan hiker was not abandoned outright by his group, but that they did abstracted connected nan last information of way to nan summit,” which near him alone, Evan Brady, nationalist accusation serviceman for Chaffee County SAR South, told NPR.

How nan hiker became separated from nan group

The security workers had met astatine sunrise past Friday to embark connected their travel up Mount Shavano. The mountain is simply a “fourteener” — meaning it’s 1 of Colorado’s summits that apical 14,000 feet. They past divided into smaller groups, pinch immoderate aiming to scope nan acme and others hiking to nan mountain’s little “saddle” earlier returning.

The lone hiker, who was wearing each black, someway recovered himself betwixt these 2 groups. After reaching nan acme astatine 11:30 a.m., he became disoriented arsenic he tried to descend connected his own. Complicating his task: His coworkers had picked up pieces of cogwheel nan squad had near to people their way done nan boulders.

As nan man tried to descend, “he recovered himself successful nan steep boulder and scree section connected nan northeast slopes toward Shavano Lake,” nan rescue squad said. He utilized his cellphone to nonstop GPS pins of his location to his coworkers, who told him he needed to double backmost to regain nan trail.

After astir 4 hours, nan man texted his coworkers to opportunity he was adjacent to nan trail, still precocious connected nan mountain. But past “a beardown large wind passed done nan area pinch freezing rainfall and precocious winds, and he again became disoriented, losing compartment telephone awesome arsenic well,” according to Chaffee County Search and Rescue.

At dusk, 2 of nan agency workers went backmost up nan way to look for nan man, Brady said. Having nary luck, they turned backmost arsenic acheronian fell connected nan mountain.

At 9 p.m., a telephone of an overdue hiker went out, mounting hunt teams, a drone and a chopper successful motion. But pinch nan large wind bringing much upwind and freezing rain, it was excessively unsafe for nan teams to scope nan summit.

A break, and nan missing hiker is found

Finally, arsenic teams from astatine slightest 9 agencies helping nan hunt effort, a break came connected Saturday morning. The hiker’s telephone regained capable awesome for him to telephone 911. He was recovered successful a gully; he told nan rescue squad that he had fallen astatine slightest 20 times during his effort to descend nan mountain.

“The first teams to scope him reported his was relieved to person been found, and excited,” Brady said. After nan analyzable task of bringing nan man down nan mountain, he was transported to a infirmary for information and treatment.

“He is location pinch his family recovering, aft a little hospitalization,” Brady said.

For anyone — aliases immoderate agency group — readying a akin excursion, Brady has a portion of advice: enactment together.

“Hikers separating from groups, whether voluntarily aliases accidentally is our No. 1 origin of mislaid hikers,” he said.

And conscionable successful case, you mightiness want to beryllium judge your telephone has a afloat charge.