Saguache County SAR, Custer County SAR and Western State Mountain Rescue Team, (Gunnison County), responded to a 39 year old fallen climber with serious injuries on Crestone Peak on Saturday July 11th. The initial call activating CCSAR was received at 13:48, with reports of a female climber with a broken leg at 13,000’ on a south facing route in the Crestone Group.
The climber’s coordinates placed them in the Red Gully on Crestone Peak’s standard route, in Saguache County. Warren Stephen with Saguache County SAR assumed incident command, while Custer County readied its technical team members and search base support staff; and also activated Western State Mountain Rescue Team to assist. Saguache County dispatched EagleMed Salida and requested CCSAR locate a military helicopter to insert rescue teams.
Adam Vonnahme, 38, of Superior Colorado had reported that his climbing partner, 39 year old Jennifer Staufer, also of Superior, had fallen approximately 150 feet on the standard route. He was able to communicate details of her injuries and relay status updates to CCSAR via text message until his cell phone battery was depleted.
A Blackhawk from the High Altitude Army Aviation Site (HAATS) was in the area on another SAR mission on Blanca Peak. After completing that mission and refueling, it loaded seven CCSAR climbers at SilverWest airport for insertion into the Cottonwood drainage at approximately 18:00 hours. It then continued to Salida’s airport to pick-up and transport five members of the Western State team to the scene. EagleMed Salida inserted two additional personnel from Saguache County, for a total of 14 field personnel.
The patient was stabilized and then lowered in a stokes litter, in difficult terrain and in darkness, to a landing zone in the Cottonwood Basin where she was airlifted by a Blackhawk to Crestone at 01:00 Sunday morning. She was then transferred to Eagle Med air ambulance and flown to an area hospital where she was admitted for treatment for several serious injuries.
Conditions in the couloir included wet rock, running water, snow and ice. Rescuers who then hiked out to Custer County on Sunday, via Broken Hand Pass, encountered conditions that are still very much technical due to the amount of snow and ice still in and below the pass. Western State and CCSAR members were picked up at the top of South Colony Road after dawn on Sunday, returning to SAR base at 09:15. Saguache County field members hiked out via the Cottonwood drainage.
On Sunday afternoon at 14:00 hours, CCSAR was again activated to assist another climber, who had also fallen in the Red Gully on Crestone Peak and had a useable ankle injury.
23 year old Anika Jimenez, was able to hike out to the South Colony Lakes trail below Broken Hand Pass, with a splinted ankle, where CCSAR members transferred her out of the basin via a stokes litter.
During that mission, CCSAR members encounter yet another hiker with low blood sugar issues who was requesting medical assistance. Sunday’s mission response concluded at 20:35 hours.
Custer County SAR would like to remind everyone to continue to use extra caution and discretion in climbing in the Crestone Group. Those 14ers include Crestone Peak, Crestone Needle, Humboldt Peak, Kit Carson and Challenger Point and border Custer and Saguache Counties.
Late season snow pack, melting snow, ice and rock fall are still at dangerous levels. Lightning is also a consideration, as well as afternoon thunderstorms with the arrival of the monsoon season in Colorado. It is also important that your friends and family know exactly which peak you are climbing and which route you will be taking; and that they can accurately relay that information to dispatchers who receive the initial 911 calls. Be prepared for an overnight bivouac and aware that weather is just one factor than can prevent an air rescue in the event of an injury or illness.
