Fourteener fatality on Little Bear
- Details
- Created on Wednesday, 16 June 2010 14:46
- Written by R. Scott Rappold
A hiker died after a fall on the fourteener Little Bear Peak, part of the Blanca Peak massif near Alamosa, Tuesday.
There are two versions of this story. Here's the official one from the AP:
A hiker has died while trying to climb a 14,000-foot mountain in southern Colorado.
The unidentified hiker had already died by the time an airlifted rescue crew reached him Tuesday on Little Bear Peak near Alamosa.
Colorado National Guard spokesman Darin Overstreet says the CH-47 Chinook helicopter that ferried the crew in had to make an emergency landing after its rear tail rotor hit the ground.
Black Hawks were brought in to bring the crew back down the mountain. The Chinook will have to be lifted away by a larger helicopter.
It’s not known how the hiker died.
Meanwhile, a much more detailed account the accident played out on the website 14ers.com Tuesday night, in real-time. Here's the account the partner of victim - an 18-year-old from Highlands Ranch - posted on the website at around 6:20 p.m.:
"Today me and Kevin8020 were hiking the hourglass just shy of the summit of Little Bear Peak. The hourglass was completely iced over and was unpassible, we decided to take a ledge on the left side of the hourglass and decided to wait and see if the sun would help melt anything out. 30 seconds after this decision was made, Kevin's hand/foothold (i could not see all of him) broke lose and he fell several hundred yards down the mountain..
When i got to him he was breathing heavily and both him arms looked broken, both of our spot trackers malfunctioned at a terrible time. I waited 30 minutes by chance that the distress signal did go out, tried to comfort Kevin, and after no response from either Kevin or SaR. I made the hardest decision of my life and had to hike out, leaving my partner behind.
I hiked from just below the summit to the car parked on lake como road not far in at all, 1.4 miles. In just under 3 hours. Then did everything in my power to get to Alamosa and get contact with Sar, within thirty minutes they were contacting me and i provided everything i could. It's now been over 6 hours since i left him and there is one chopper team and one foot team on the way to Kevin.
PLEASE, keep Kevin in your thoughts and prayers."
Four hours later, the climber confirmed the worst:
"It is with a heavy heart that i must confirm that Kevin has passed away.. He died doing what he loved.
He was a great man with an incredible faith and i have no doubt he will enjoy celebrating with his savior on the amazing peaks in Heaven.
Eerily Kevin and I ironically both promised each other 2 things should one of us die whilst climbing. Buddy, i promise you i will do everything possible to fulfill this. You are loved and will never be forgotten."
You can read the topic thread here. Sad story.
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