(PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo.) — After nearly 25 hours of searching in steep and heavily wooded terrain, crews successfully rescued six hikers, including five minors, from Greenhorn Mountain on Saturday, May 31, according to the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO).
Along with PCSO’s Emergency Services Division’s volunteer Search and Rescue (SAR), Custer County Search and Rescue joined the search on Friday, May 30, after a call came in from the hikers around 7:30 p.m.
The hikers, all from Texas, had begun a day hike on Friday afternoon near Graneros Creek, southwest of the Town of Rye, when they left the trail. They became disoriented in dense vegetation and were unable to find their way back to the trail.
After receiving the call, PCSO’s volunteer SAR began an immediate ground search, working through the night over rough terrain, heavy rain, and limited visibility. One of the volunteers was injured during the night, but kept searching until he could no longer continue. Around 3:30 p.m., he was airlifted from the mountain by a Colorado National Guard helicopter and taken to the hospital.
A Flight for Life helicopter found the lost hikers but was unable to rescue them due to the rugged terrain.
Custer County SAR teams searching the area on foot found four of the six hikers around 3:30 p.m. Two of the minors had left the group to find the trail. They were found about an hour later. All six hikers were escorted safely out of the area and taken to the command post, where they were checked out and determined to be in good health.
“This was a very long, difficult, and dangerous operation, and we are thankful for the positive
outcome,” said Pueblo County Sheriff David J. Lucero. “Everyone was safely rescued, and although one of our SAR members was injured, we are grateful no one suffered serious harm.”
Sheriff Lucero gave special thanks to those involved in the rescue effort. “We want to thank Custer County, Rye Fire, Flight for Life, and the Division of Fire Protection and Control for their assistance in this search. A special thanks goes to the Colorado Department of Public Safety and the National Guard for the successful rescue of our injured SAR team member.”
PCSO reminds people to be prepared and take the following precautions when heading into the mountains:
Never hike alone.
Share your hiking plan with someone before you go.
Bring plenty of food and water.
Carry a fully charged cellphone and conserve battery life.
Pack emergency supplies, including a flashlight, fire starter, and emergency blanket.
Stay on marked and designated trails.
If you become lost, call for help and stay in place.
If anyone is interested in getting involved in volunteering for community service programs such as SAR, they can call (719) 583-6200 or click on the link above.
