Two ill-equipped cross country skiers were found this afternoon after spending the night in below zero temperatures at a spot in Lake County above 10,000 feet in elevation, authorities say.
The two men, who were in the mid-20s, called the Lake County Sheriff’s Office on their cellular phones at about 5 p.m. on Christmas and said they had gotten lost near Turquoise Lake west of Leadville, said Deputy Steve James of the sheriff’s office.
The pair didn’t have spotter beacons, proper clothing or food. They only had what they were wearing and a sleeping bag each, James said.
Wind chill temperatures dropped to between 10 to 20 degrees below 0 last night, said Jim Kalina, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Boulder.
“They were not prepared for this,” he said. “We searched all night.”
More than 50 people from five different agencies searched on snowmobiles, in a National Guard helicopter and on skies and snowshoes, James said.
Rescuers on snowshoes found the two in good condition without any injuries at about 1 p.m., he said.
James is not yet releasing the names of the two men who were lost.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
