In a survival story worthy of Hollywood, a Colorado firefighter is expected to recover after a harrowing ordeal while mountain climbing.
On Wednesday, July 1, the firefighter was climbing North Apostle Mountain, a 13,000-foot peak in the Sawatch Range, when a 400-pound boulder rolled over and pinned their leg. The firefighter, who remains unidentified as of Monday, was able to free themselves through “incredible determination” and “primal adrenaline,” according to a news release from the Eagle River Fire Protection District in central Colorado.
But even freed from the boulder, the firefighter had a broken leg and couldn’t self-rescue from the mountain. So they called for help, kicking off a complicated rescue. The remote location, steep terrain, and high elevation would have made a ground rescue difficult. So a Black Hawk helicopter was deployed from what’s called a High-Altitude Army Aviation Training Site (HAATS), which is known for training aviators to conduct rescues in the mountains.
The pilot teamed up with technical rescuers from Mountain Rescue Aspen’s hoist team, and they set off for North Apostle Mountain. The injured firefighter stayed in contact with Vail Mountain Rescue via the emergency texting feature on an iPhone, sending location info that was relayed to the helicopter crew.
When the Black Hawk arrived, the two technical rescuers lowered themselves to the injured firefighter via a 300-foot hoist line. They splinted the broken leg and then safely hoisted the injured person into the helicopter.
Honors for Helicopter Pilot
This extraordinary rescue was also notable for the involvement of one of the helicopter pilots. This pilot responded to this rescue “during the final hours of an extraordinary military career,” according to local authorities.
After completing the mission, he received a traditional military honor of a water cannon salute over the helicopter. The Eagle County Airport Fire Rescue crew performed this “salute” to commemorate his final flight before retirement.
“Our firefighter is recovering and is incredibly grateful for the skill, professionalism, and compassion shown by everyone involved,” the fire department said. “Incidents like this are a powerful reminder that even those who dedicate their lives to helping others sometimes need help themselves.”
GearJunkie contacted the Eagle River Fire Protection District on Monday for an update about the firefighter’s identity and condition, but didn’t immediately hear back.
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