The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Medical emergency apparently led to a fall
By Katherine Nettles
A Grand Junction man lost his life this fall while working on a road flagging crew near CB South.
According to a report filed by a responding officer with Mt. Crested Butte Police Department, Frankie Porter, age 43, died after sustaining a head injury during an unexpected medical incident. The report states that shortly before 9:30 a.m. on September 9, Crested Butte EMS was dispatched to an incident along County Road 740 (Cement Creek Road) where a male in his 40s had fallen and hit his head.
“This area is fairly remote with no cell service and spotty radio coverage. Because of the remoteness there was little information regarding what type of incident occurred. Information provided to dispatch was mostly coming third hand,” according to the report.
EMS reported arriving on scene and proceeding to regain a pulse after performing CPR and other medical interventions for Porter, and a Careflight helicopter was requested and accepted the mission to transport Porter to higher care. However, once the patient was taken by ambulance to the Buckhorn Airport, EMS asked for a coroner at approximately 11 a.m. as the patient was no longer viable. Porter was later pronounced dead.
The report states that fellow construction workers said they witnessed Porter appear to lose consciousness and fall from the edge of the road down an embankment, hitting his head. One witness who was working with Porter went down the ravine to check on him and “attempted life-saving measures while others went to call for help,” according to the report.
EMS was advised by Porter’s co-workers that Porter was taking blood thinner medication for an apparent health condition and had previously expressed concern for his health. Mt. Crested Butte Police chief Nate Stepanek confirmed the case was closed and the Crested Butte News obtained a copy of a letter from the Colorado Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) dated September 10 indicating that OSHA was following up to ensure the worksite was safe for other workers. According to that letter, OSHA encouraged the company Ultra Traffic Management to conduct its own investigation of the incident and worker safety within a week. OSHA and Ultra Traffic Management had not responded to inquiries from the CB News as of press time.
A memorial sign was posted near the site of Porter’s fall along Cement Creek in the weeks that followed, and a celebration of life was held for Porter in Grand Junction in late September.
