A hiker in Colorado sporting solely a cotton jacket was rescued throughout a blizzard

A hiker sporting solely a cotton jacket was discovered “alive however severely hypothermic” after spending seven hours in a extreme snowstorm with out meals or water on a 13,000-foot mountain, Colorado officers mentioned.

The hiker, whose identify and age weren’t launched, climbed the height close to Princeton Mountain on Wednesday, however was caught “unprepared” as harmful climate progressed, Northern Chaffee County Search and Rescue mentioned in an announcement posted on the company’s web site. Facebook page. The hiker had no strategy to heat himself.

The rescue staff mentioned within the assertion: “With darkness approaching and hypothermia, we determined that as an alternative of following the identical route, the most effective plan was to bail out on an ice slope to attempt to attain the highway.”

The hiker had a cellphone, however authorities have been unable to get GPS data from him after studying of the state of affairs round 7 p.m., in keeping with officers. A staff of 25 individuals have been dispatched, studying solely that the hiker was on an icy slope east of Cottonwood Lake.

The staff noticed what gave the impression to be footprints in 6 to eight inches of snow and adopted them till they discovered what they thought was an “unusual-looking rock” at 2 a.m., in keeping with the discharge.

“After additional investigation, it was decided that it was not a rock, however quite an individual sitting upright in a fetal place lined in snow,” officers mentioned.

The staff spent three hours warming up the rover earlier than reducing it right into a steep gully at 5 a.m. Ropes have been used to decrease the hiker part by part earlier than they instructed the rescue staff they might assist. The hiker walked the remaining distance to the ambulance to await her analysis at 7 a.m

Photos of the 12-hour rescue have been posted on Fb, displaying the hiker wrapped in plastic to preserve warmth as he was pulled down the mountain on a sled.

This information comes only one month after one other hiker disappeared within the Rocky Mountains. Chad Balanche, 49, of Fort Collins, Colorado, was final heard from on Sept. 27, when a textual content message indicated he was about to summit Mount Alice in Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park.

In July, Colorado authorities discovered… Decomposing corpses threeHikers Which can have been lacking for the reason that winter.

In a Fb submit about final week’s incident, the Northern Chaffee County Search and Rescue staff included an inventory of victims’ names “10 essentials” Which individuals ought to deliver to assist them face up to minor accidents, sudden climate adjustments, or sudden delays. The Nationwide Park Service, which compiled the record, recommends packing navigational instruments, first help, meals and water to assist in emergency conditions.

“Although you might not plan to be out in inclement climate, the ten necessities are important to assist maintain you alive,” the staff mentioned within the submit.