An injured hiker in the mountains west of Denver was rescued last night by a National Guard helicopter crew.
The Colorado National Guard was called at about 9:30 p.m. after an emergency service helicopter, sent by the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office, was unable to reach Steve Lassman, 61, of Boulder, because of heavy rains, strong winds and darkness.
Lassman went hiking by himself on Sunday and was supposed to return on Monday, said Gilpin County Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Cherokee Blake.
Lassman’s family called the sheriff’s office because it was unusual for Steve to be overdue without checking in, Blake said.
The National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and its crew, dispatched from Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, used night vision equipment to find the injured hiker, who was about 2.5 miles southwest of the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel, according to a National Guard media release.
Lassman was found in a disoriented state, suffering from a broken leg and intense hypothermia, Blake said.
The rescue crew flew the injured hiker, who was found at about 11,000-feet elevation in Gilpin County, to a waiting ambulance in Rollinsville. Lassman was taken to a local hospital.
Further details on his injuries were not available.
Adam Singleton: 303-945-1794 or asingleton@denverpost.com.
