The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Judd Falls rescue
by Mark Reaman
It has been a somewhat “normal” summer for the Crested Butte Search and Rescue team. They are fielding a lot of calls, but fortunately most of them have happy endings.
The most recent active rescue occurred last week on July 8 when a 42-year-old male hiker lost his footing and fell down a steep embankment by Judd Falls just north of Gothic. He was able to stop his fall before going all the way to the river and positioned himself on a small ledge. But he had injured himself and could not climb out on his own.
Another hiker in the area was able to call 911 and give a precise location of the accident. Mt. Crested Butte police officers, local EMTs and the Search and Rescue team responded to the scene. Using ropes, they got the man off the ledge and safely to an ambulance and eventually to medical help at the Gunnison Valley Hospital.
“That’s the biggest one recently,” said SAR president Nicholas Kempin. “We have had some calls for people who were out in the backcountry by the Maroon Bells and were overdue, but they all came in. We had a similar situation last Sunday over by Cottonwood Pass but that hiker also came in. It seems people are basically out bopping around the backcountry and taking their time getting back. That’s when we get called out.”
Kempin said that’s okay, given the alternative. The team would much rather help conduct a successful search and rescue as opposed to dealing with a tragic accident.
CBSAR also ran a call last Saturday, July 11 for a person with a broken leg up the Waterfall Trail off of Ohio Creek. That call was a mutual aid response in conjunction with Western State Search and Rescue. It is a busy summer.
