(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — El Paso Search and Rescue had a ‘busy’ weekend with seven missions between June 14 and 15.
While three of the seven missions were canceled due to the individuals being able to get help and find their way back safely to their cars, the number of calls over the weekend is not often seen by the rescue team.
“Last year, we had 12 total missions in the first half of June (June 1 – 16), so in comparison, seven in one weekend was a lot,” said Chris Valentine with El Paso County Search and Rescue.
Two missions included helping with the search for a lost person, 55-year-old Russel Hardy, who was last seen in the Colorado Springs area. His car, a gray 2025 Toyota RAV4, was found at the Crags Trailhead. A photo posted on social media suggested Hardy may have been in the area of either Crystal Creek Reservoir or Crags Trailhead.
Both the El Paso and Teller County Search and Rescue teams were conducting search operations in the surrounding areas. Anyone with information about Hardy’s location is asked to contact the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) at (719) 390-5555.
FOX21 News has reached out to EPSO for more information on the search and will update this article when we learn more.
Valentine said a team member was also able to help a lost hiker when they happened to be hiking in the same area. “Many members of our team spend time in the backcountry, but I don’t remember a recent mission where someone just happened to be in the same location as the lost person,” Valentine said.
The hiker was assisted by the search and rescue team member who helped them get back to the trail, hike to one of the team’s vehicles, and eventually drove out of the back country.
Valentine said that while half of the calls this past weekend were on Pikes Peak, they cover the entire area of El Paso County.
As hikers take to the trails with the warmer weather, El Paso County Search and Rescue reminds them to:
Always leave a plan with someone: Where you are going, when you will be back. Search and Rescue said this helps them narrow their search if an individual is lost.
Always pack the 10 essentials: Navigation, sun protection, insulation, first-aid supplies, fire, repair kit and tools, nutrition, hydration, and emergency shelter.
Individuals who are heading into the wilderness should carry these items, even if it’s for a short hike. The rescue team advised that if an individual becomes lost, they should call 911 and stop and stay in one place.
