Screengrab: Jake Kaiser//YouTube
A skier tumbled as much as 1,000 feet down Colorado’s Skywalker Couloir on Saturday morning, June 14. The 29-year-old miraculously survived the massive fall and was rescued by Rocky Mountain Rescue Group and other agencies, who were able to airlift him via MedEvac, according to a statement from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s press release stated that the skier suffered “serious injuries” in the accident but did not clarify how severe or what those injuries were.
Skywalker Couloir spills off South Arapahoe Peak around 20 miles west of Boulder near the town of Nederland.
Authorities say multiple calls to 9-1-1 were made after the fall at around 10:30 a.m.. Poor cell reception, however, led to dropped calls and confusion of the skier’s location. That made officials wonder if they were receiving reports from more than one incident, but one person attempting to contact them was eventually able to reach the top of the peak where stronger cell reception could confirm the victim’s location. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said the initial confusion caused by a reliance on cell phones stresses the importance of carrying personal locator beacons for anybody venturing into the backcountry.
“The patient, a 29-year-old male, was initiating a ski descent of the couloir when he fell, sliding and tumbling approximately 1,000 feet down the snowfield before coming to rest in a scree area. Nederland Fire Protection District personnel initially responded to the Fourth of July Trailhead and immediately entered the field. MedEvac airlifted a Rocky Mountain Rescue Group volunteer to the patient, landing within 50 feet of the site,” the press release says. “It was determined that helicopter evacuation was necessary, and the patient was transported by MedEvac to a local hospital for further treatment.”
The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office reports that four agencies were involved in the successful rescue effort Saturday. The sheriff’s office worked in cooperation with Nederland Fire Protection District, MedEvac, and Rocky Mountain Rescue Group.
