Heart attack claims victim near Gothic

Extraordinary effort taken 

By Mark Reaman

A 60-year-old man from Pennsylvania died Monday, July 17 in Gothic after suffering an apparent heart attack in the nearby backcountry. The man was hiking at Rustler Gulch with his family when he began complaining of shortness of breath and then collapsed. 

According to Crested Butte Fire Protection District fire and EMS chief Rob Weisbaum, the family began CPR and hailed for help. The patient was then placed on a flatbed truck and transported to the Gothic townsite outside the Coffee Lab.

Local EMTs were made aware of the situation Monday at 11:47 a.m. when a call came in describing a male in his 60s who was complaining of chest pain. The EMTs responded to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in an ambulance.

Weisbaum said that at the time, the CBFPD was managing three other calls at once that included an active gas leak and an electrical smell at the school. “We are thankful for the resources we were able to assemble for this response in addition to the on-site help our team received from some nurses and a doctor who happened to be in the area,” he said. “EMS diverted from the gas leak to respond to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in an ambulance.” 

Gunnison paramedics provided mutual aid service to cover 911 for the duration of these incidents. 

“The patient was ultimately driven down from the Rustler Gulch area to RMBL’s Visitor’s Center/Coffee Lab,” Weisbaum explained in an email. “Shortly after arriving there, we were provided with an updated report of CPR in progress (presumably by bystanders). There is an AED located on site there and the patient was also defibrillated one time.”

Weisbaum said a helicopter was immediately launched to the scene from Montrose in addition to more resources that included a Crested Butte Search and Rescue team. The road was temporarily closed to provide a landing space for a helicopter. 

“Once our team arrived on scene, the patient was still in cardiac arrest and they continued resuscitative efforts but unfortunately were unable to revive the patient,” said Weisbaum. “A field termination of resuscitation was made by the team. The helicopter was cancelled before arriving on the scene.”

From there the incident was turned over to local law enforcement and the Gunnison County coroner. Mt. Crested Butte police department officials say the identity of the man is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.