Climber’s quick thinking helps save solo climber who plunged 200 feet on CO peak
A 20-year-old solo climber plunged about 200 feet from a Colorado mountain peak, and another climber saw it and jumped into action to help, officials said.
They were climbing Maroon Peak separately around 10 a.m. July 9, when the solo climber fell and landed at about 13,622 feet of elevation, Mountain Rescue Aspen said in a July 9 post on Facebook.
The climber who saw the fall called 911 and descended to the fallen climber to help, officials said. Because of the person’s quick actions, rescuers were able to understand the fallen climber’s injuries and determine the best rescue method.
Rescuers decided to get the injured climber off the mountain with hoist technicians and a rescue helicopter, officials said. A ground team also started heading toward the injured climber, and additional rescuers were on standby in case more help was needed.
The hoist rescue team reached the injured climber just before 12:30 p.m., officials said. The rescue team hoisted them out of the field and flew them to Aspen Pitkin County Airport, where an ambulance took them to a hospital.
The hoist rescue team then returned to the mountain to pick up a technician and the climber who had reported the fall, officials said. Everyone was out of the field by 2:41 p.m.
Rescuers reminded climbers and mountain recreationists not to venture out into the backcountry on their own.
“Mountain Rescue Aspen and the Pitkin County Sheriff would like to remind all adventurers that having a partner in the mountains can help expedite a rescue in case of a fall or other injury,” officials said. “Having a dedicated backcountry SOS communication device can also assist in an efficient rescue.”
Several people commended the climber’s quick thinking and the rescue effort in the comments.
“Must thank the ‘other climber’ on the peak!” someone said.
“Roughly two hours from report to extraction is impressive,” another person said. “Thank goodness the other climber who reported it happened to be there.”
Maroon Peak is about a 200-mile drive southwest from Denver.
This story was originally published July 11, 2025 at 10:33 AM with the headline "Climber’s quick thinking helps save solo climber who plunged 200 feet on CO peak."
