Skier airlifted with serious injuries sustained during September outing

A 17-year-old backcountry skier was airlifted from Skyscraper Peak late Monday morning with serious injuries after falling in the snow and smashing into the rocks. 

According to a press release from the Boulder County Sheriff's Office, rescuers were alerted to the injured backcountry skier at about 11:08 a.m. 

Over the course of three flights, five rescuers were flown to a landing zone near the injured skier at about 12,000 feet on the Continental Divide. Ground teams were also deployed into the field from Rollins Pass.

Rescue crews stabilized the injured skier in a litter and then utilized a technical rope system to raise her about 160 feet up Skyscraper Glacier to a landing zone.

Skyscraper Glacier is located on the south side of Skyscraper Peak in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, just south of Devils Thumb Pass and north of Rollins Pass.

The entire rescue lasted nearly seven hours. The female skier from Colorado Springs suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and was transported to a Denver area hospital by Flight For Life Colorado.

Several agencies assisted in this alpine rescue including the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, American Medical Response, Nederland Fire Department, Timberline Fire Department, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, Grand County Search and Rescue, Flight For Life Colorado, Colorado Army National Guard, Colorado Search, and Rescue Association.

The backcountry is dangerous. Always let someone know where you're going and when you expect to return. Check the current conditions before venturing out at avalanche.state.co.us. 

Editor’s Note: Help fund search and rescue missions across the state of Colorado by purchasing a CORSAR card at ihelpsearch.org. This is not an insurance card. By purchasing a card, you are helping reimburse teams for costs incurred in providing help to lost and injured hikers, climbers, mountain bikers, hunters, ATV riders, skiers, snowboarders, and more.