Media Release: 8.26.24 – Fatal Fall on Crestone Needle
Westcliffe, Colo. – At 9:18 p.m., Thursday night, (8/22/24), Custer County Search and Rescue (SAR) was activated for an overdue hiker whose planned route was the Crestone Peak to Crestone Needle traverse.
Rescuer on Crestone Needle in low visability
Coordinates placed the hiker in Saguache County, and the mission response was delegated to Custer County SAR. The 66yo male party had summited Crestone Peak, traversed to Crestone Needle and was on his descent when he is presumed to have descended off-route. Family members reported his Garmin device indicated a position that had not changed in several hours.
A vehicle with Nebraska plates, belonging to the party was located by SAR personnel at the trailhead in Custer County on Thursday night. Custer County SAR fielded teams at 3:30 a.m. on Friday, and the operation concluded with all ground personnel out of the field by 10:30 p.m.
Weather conditions hampered both ground and air search efforts throughout the day. Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control’s (DFPC) Cañon Helitack was able to conduct an aerial search after 2:00 p.m. and made a visual confirmation on the hiker’s location, at an elevation of 13,371 feet, adjacent to a 2021 rescue site.
Helitak crew with longline rigging
A team of two technical climbers, that were part of eight field personnel, were able to access the location. DFPC’s Cañon Helitack aircraft was then equipped with a longline, to carry external loads, delivering equipment to rescuers at the site and recovering the victim.
With nightfall fast approaching and weather conditions again deteriorating, a Colorado Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk hoisted the two rescuers from technical terrain after a ground operational period exceeding 16 hours. Other SAR personnel hiked out of the field.
During this response, rescuers experienced wet, loose rock, heavy fog, sporadic heavy rain showers, and steady winds between 20 and 30 mph, sometimes exceeding 40mph.
Custer County Search and Rescue recommends careful route finding and navigation, which is best gained by carefully descending the same route one previously ascended. This parties Garmin device provided valuable clues that assisted in locating and recovering the individual. See the 2022 Rescue Patterns in the Crestones ArcGIS storymap.
A common denominator on Crestone Needle missions is climbers who get off-route descending the south face, from 13,400 ft and below – indicating the extreme importance of navigation and staying on route to avoid becoming cliffed-out and fatal falls.
Members of the all-volunteer Custer County Search and Rescue send our deep, heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
