Hiker falls and slides almost 100 feet down rock face in Colorado, officials say
A hiker fell near the top of a Colorado mountain trail — and slid almost 100 feet down the rock face, rescuers said.
Around the same time, two more outdoor recreationists experienced medical issues in the area, making for a busy day for backcountry rescues, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said in a July 11 post on Facebook.
The hiker was at the top of Greyrock Trail when they fell around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9, the agency said in the post.
Rescuers from the agency and several others were already helping a hiker who had a medical issue near Crosier Mountain at 2 p.m. that day, officials said. A rescue helicopter eventually flew that hiker to a hospital for treatment.
Because of the simultaneous rescue missions about 50 miles away from each other, a rescue helicopter came from Cheyenne to fly search and rescue teams to the area, officials said.
“This ‘lift ticket’ program has been extremely helpful by getting rescue personnel to patients faster so they can figure out what resources are needed,” the agency said.
Rescuers evaluated and talked with the hiker, determined he had minor injuries and helped him hike back out, officials said. They reached the trailhead just before 10 p.m.
At about 4:45 p.m., the agency got a call about an angler “experiencing heat exhaustion and altitude impacts” while he was fishing at Corral Creek, about another 50-mile drive southwest from Greyrock Mountain.
The fisherman’s friend had hiked back to their car and drove to the nearest 911 call box to call for help, officials said. A tactical rescue paramedic from the agency responded and hiked with the friend back to the angler.
The paramedic treated the angler to stabilize him, then slowly made their way back to the trail across Corral Creek and difficult terrain, officials said. A photo shows someone walking across logs in a rocky creek. Another shows a group of rescuers assisting someone over a swift-moving river in the dark.
Once they reached the trail, they loaded him onto a litter to carry him out of the backcountry and reached the trailhead around midnight.
“We get a lot of questions about the cost for operations like these,” the agency said. “Whether we’ve got 4 people or 40 on a call, patients are not charged for search and rescue. In an emergency situation, we don’t want people to hesitate to call because they’re worried about the cost.”
Patients are still on the hook for medical transportation and hospital services, “but the rescue effort itself is free,” the agency said.
“We couldn’t do this important, lifesaving work year-round without the dedicated volunteers from LCSAR and Larimer Dive Rescue, both of which are non-profit organizations,” the agency said. “Thanks to all who stepped up on an exceptionally busy day to help three people get back to their loved ones safely!”
This story was originally published July 14, 2025 at 12:20 PM with the headline "Hiker falls and slides almost 100 feet down rock face in Colorado, officials say."
