An Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopter rescued a Denver-area man near Pikes Peak this afternoon after he spent a night on the mountain after becoming lost.
Rod Hindley, vice president of the Teller County Search and Rescue, said the man, in his early 20s, had summited Pikes Peak Friday afternoon but became lost as he descended.
“He had a cellphone and he periodically talked to the Teller County Sheriff’s Department during the night,” said Hindley.
“He didn’t have a map and wasn’t familiar with the area.”
He and a friend had left to climb the mountain early Friday but the companion turned back when he experienced problems with the altitude.
When the man who climbed Pikes Peak failed to show up at the appointed time late yesterday, the companion flagged down a Teller County Sheriff’s car on Colorado 67 between Divide and Cripple Creek, said Hindley.
Although the lost hiker was unfamiliar with the Pikes Peak area, he is an experienced hiker and stayed warm Friday night by moving from above timberline – where the wind was blowing so fiercely he couldn’t stand – into trees at a lower altitude.
“He didn’t have any shelter and kept moving around and staying warm that way,” said the rescue official.
Hindley said that Teller County Search and Rescue started looking for the man Friday night.
Based on the landmarks the man could see, Hindley said ground crews this afternoon directed two Black Hawk helicopters into the area where they believed he was.
Within 15 minutes, the helicopters spotted the lost hiker. One landed, while the second circled above.
A medical crew on the first helicopter checked the man out and then the helicopter flew him out. He was taken to a medical facility where he was checked out and released, said the rescue official.
The man was found almost due west of Pikes Peak between the Pikes Peak highway and Raspberry Mountain.
Hindley said those taking part in the rescue were Teller county Search and Rescue, El Paso County Search and Rescue, the Teller County Sheriff’s Department and the Army National Guard.
He said about 20 searchers were on the ground, many on snow shoes. Despite the snow shoes, he said the rescuers frequently found themselves in waist-deep in snow.
The lost hiker was also wearing snow shoes.
Kirk Mitchell contributed to this story.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
