A 64-year-old woman seriously injured in a southwest Colorado snowmobile accident Tuesday was recovered by roughly two dozen rescuers during a six-hour operation.
The woman, from the town of Norwood, received blunt force trauma injuries when she was thrown into her snowmobile’s handlebars after hitting a ditch in the backcountry near Telluride.
“Her husband, who was driving a separate snowmobile, heard what were Telluride Outside snowmobile guides in the distance, and drove his snowmobile an estimated 8 miles to ask them for assistance,” the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office said.
After finding the guides, a massive search party was launched — including a medical helicopter and 10 snowmobiles — who were able to reach the woman about 3 p.m. on Tuesday as daylight dwindled.
The woman was flown to Mercy Hospital in Durango where she was stabilized. An update on her condition was not immediately provided.
The sheriff’s office says rescuers battled deep snow and a lack of cellphone service during their efforts.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or @JesseAPaul
