Hikers save bleeding man by carrying him off Colorado mountain on litter of branches
.jpg "Other visitors to Guanella Pass in Colorado helped rescue a fallen 77-year-old with an improvised litter of branches, likely saving his life, firefighters say.")
On a visit to Guanella Pass in Colorado with his family to enjoy the fall foliage Sunday, Matthew Meyers got some “gorgeous pictures” before he heard a call for help.
“You know, there’s a guy who actually fell up there and he’s bleeding out,” another hiker told the family, Meyers told KUSA. Meyers sent his family back to their vehicle and went to help.
He discovered other hikers waiting for help with a 77-year-old man who had fallen off the trail, Meyers told the station. The man was bleeding badly from an arm injury.
“He was just unbelievably pale,” Meyers said, KUSA reported. “I mean, just white. His lips were white.”
He and two others tried to carry the injured man back down the trail, but soon realized they had to build a makeshift litter out of tree branches tied with a belt and shoestrings, according to the station.
On their way down the trail, the hikers ran into firefighters on their way up the mountain to help the fallen hiker, the Platte Canyon Fire Protection District reported on Facebook.
It was an approximate 1.5-mile hike to reach the injured hiker’s original location.
Along with blood loss from a “severe traumatic injury,” the injured man was “very hypothermic,” the post said. Firefighters said Meyers and the others were “instrumental in his survival.”
They thanked Meyers and the other bystanders for assisting the fallen man and helping firefighters carry him back down the trail to an ambulance.
Firefighters offered the following tips to hikers:
- Be aware that accidents can occur even on a day hike.
- Dress appropriately for changes in the weather.
- Carry a first aid kit and survival supplies.
- Do not hike off-trail.
- Be sure someone knows where you are hiking and when you plan to return.
Meyers was humble in regards to his actions. In response to the firefighter’s Facebook post, he said, “Thank you SO much to the Platte Canyon team! They were amazing.”
Guanella Pass is located in Central Colorado near Georgetown.
This story was originally published October 6, 2021 at 12:09 PM with the headline "Hikers save bleeding man by carrying him off Colorado mountain on litter of branches."