The July 4 weekend is always a busy one for mountain rescue teams and in Colorado, a deadly hiking accident prompted fresh warnings from officials about the many dangers of hiking.
According to a Facebook post by Silverton Medical Rescue, the tragic incident took place on Thursday, July 4 when a man fell 600 - 800 feet off the ridgeline of Snowdon Peak, a 13er in the San Juan mountains near Silverton. The 25-year-old man was reportedly visiting the state from Cookeville, Tennessee and was day hiking with two males and three females.
The San Juan County Sheriff's Department received the 911 call about the fall in the afternoon and dispatched search and rescue at 4:09 p.m.
"Silverton Rescue members along with Flight for Life medics responded via helicopter and made contact with the party at around 5:45 pm and the patient was declared deceased at that time, despite the best effort of the victim’s hiking partners," says Tyler George, director of the SMRT.
"The rescue team worked until dark, at which time recovery efforts were suspended and the mission was completed the following morning.”
The five remaining hikers were physically unharmed and extracted from the scene by rescue teams, who say their efforts were aided by an unusual lack of afternoon thunderstorms in the area last week.
Despite the good weather and lack of errors by the group, officials say it underscores the intrinsic dangers of hiking, particularly in such a remote area where the trails can involve climbing and feature a lot of loose rock.
“The mountains are dangerous. If you are coming to the San Juans to recreate, you really need to have a strong skill set and understand the risks you are putting yourself in," warns San Juan County Sheriff Bruce Conrad.
"Not that there was anything wrong done by this group in this incident, it was a group of young hikers climbing a peak that is not a super difficult peak, but one missed step can be your last one.”
Though accidents can happen at any time, it's important to curb your risk by researching your route and hiking within your ability. Carry safety tools such as a map and compass, first aid kit, emergency blanket or shelter and satellite communicator. Always tell someone where you are going, stick together and don't be afraid to turn around early if the trail is more challenging than you are prepared for.
According to the Climb 13ers website, the six-mile out-and-back trail to Snowdon Peak is a mostly Class 2 hike with some brief Class 3 exposed areas.
