On June 22, 2019 at approximately 1730, two climbers on Crestone Needle’s Ellingwood Arete route, contacted the Custer County Sherriff’s Office requesting assistance after becoming stranded due to snow and ice on the route. Custer County Search and Rescue (CCSAR) was activated and our Incident Management Team (IMT) made contact with the subjects and began planning for a possible technical rescue. The subjects decided to attempt a descent via improvised rappel anchors and made steady progress while continually giving status updates to CCSAR. At approximately 2130 and at 13,030 feet, they were nearly out of equipment and were concerned their fatigue may affect their safety if they continued. At that time they made the decision to stop and bivy for the night. Due to the extreme conditions and terrain, CCSAR also contacted Colorado Search and Rescue Association (CSRA) requesting their assistance in mobilizing mutual aid support from nearby counties and to open a line of communication to the Colorado Army National Guard (COANG) to request Colorado Hoist Rescue Team (CHRT) air assistance. Douglas County SAR, El Paso SAR, and Western Mountain Rescue all provided personnel who assembled at CCSAR’s Westcliffe base at 0300 June 23rd. Alpine Mountain Rescue also put members on standby in the event additional assistance became necessary. At approximately 0400, over 20 SAR personnel from 4 counties hiked to the base of Ellingwood Arete and staged for a ground based rescue. All the while, CCSAR’s IMT liaised with COANG to coordinate a hoist extraction utilizing Alpine Mountain Rescue Tier 3 hoist rescue techs. At approximately 0945 Blackhawk “529” out of Buckley Air Force Base arrived overhead, assessed the situation, and determined a hoist insert and extraction was possible. Both uninjured climbers and hoist rescue technicians were extracted by helicopter to CCSAR’s base in Westcliffe and all ground teams returned safely by 1445.
CCSAR is extremely grateful for the efficient and professional assistance our SAR and COANG colleagues provided throughout the entire 22 hour mission.
We would like to remind everyone entering the wilderness to be prepared with appropriate equipment and supplies necessary to survive an unplanned bivy, monitor weather forecasts, and leave a detailed itinerary with a trusted friend or family member. Be willing to turn around if the objective exceeds your capabilities. Lastly, please support Colorado Search and Rescue by purchasing a CORSAR card through your local SAR team or at https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dola/search-and-rescue-fund.
