Record-Breaking Rescue After Lightning Strike on Colorado Fourteener
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Photo: CPR News
It was a call that the Alpine Rescue Team will never forget. What started as a mission to guide two off-route hikers back to the trail on Torreys Peak last Thursday quickly escalated into a full-blown, high-stakes emergency playing out in real-time over the phone.
The two hikers from New York, had lost their way on the notoriously tricky Kelso Ridge. After an hour of guidance from the rescue team, they successfully made it to the 14,267-foot summit. Mission leaders were just about to stand down when the call took a horrifying turn.
"They were talking about, you know, it's super windy up here, we're kind of stuck in hail, we're going to start descending," Jake Smith, President of the Alpine Rescue Team, told CBS News. "And then the next thing you heard was a super loud commotion, a phone drop, and just screaming."
A few seconds of terrifying silence passed before one of the hikers came back on the line with a message that sent a shockwave through the rescue team: "We've been hit by lightning. My partner's down. He's not responsive. He's foaming at the mouth. Do I start CPR? What do I do?" The situation had gone from bad to critical in a split second.
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Photo: Jake Smith, Alpine Rescue Team via AP
An emergent response was immediately launched, mobilizing a massive effort involving around 30 personnel. As five ground teams began the arduous climb toward the summit, a hoist was requested. The storm, however, prevented two separate helicopters from flying. Finally, a Colorado National Guard Blackhawk helicopter proved capable of navigating the weather. Around 11 p.m., in the dead of night, two technicians from Vail Mountain Rescue Group were ferried to the summit. The Blackhawk returned around midnight to airlift the second hiker and the remaining rescue personnel from the peak.
As of Friday, one of the hikers remained hospitalized in fair condition, while the other had been treated and released. The incident serves as a brutal reminder of how fast conditions can change in the high country. This rescue highlights the absolute necessity of starting early, finishing early, and always being prepared for the worst.
