WATCH: Quebec hiker Samuel Frappier knows he’s lucky to be alive calling his climb “a stupid idea”
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Colo. – A 19-year-old Canadian hiker who was stuck on a ledge of the tallest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado was rescued Wednesday, authorities said.
Park officials said Samuel Frappier of Quebec was able to walk and talk when he was flown to a landing zone in the park and taken by ambulance to a hospital Wednesday evening for an evaluation, park spokeswoman Kyle Patterson said.
Frappier was stranded Tuesday on the east side of Longs Peak while descending from the top of the 14,255-foot (4,345-meter) precipice.
Rescuers reached Frappier about 6 p.m. MDT Wednesday.
He was spotted about 1,000 feet (300 metres) below the summit on Broadway Ledge. A photo released by park officials showed a sloping ledge covered by patches of snow.
Frappier was hiking with a friend but got separated along a technical climbing area where there is no trail down the mountain, Patterson said.
About 30 members of the park rescue team dealt with falling ice and rock throughout the day before rescuing Frappier, Patterson said.
In addition, a short-haul helicopter used to rescue climbers in Grand Teton National Park was brought in. The aircraft is capable of lowering a stretcher.
Another helicopter was helping with surveillance and supplies.
Frappier used his cellphone to call authorities and spent Tuesday night on the mountain, where temperatures dropped below freezing. He said he wasn’t injured, but he didn’t have any technical climbing equipment that would help him move up or down. Some of the rescuers spent the night at the base of Longs Peak so they could begin climbing after daybreak.
Rescue members were to be flown out as daylight permitted.
The mountain, visible from the Denver area, is a popular place to climb and can be scaled without any special equipment during the summer.
However, recent climbers have said winter conditions remained where park officials warn that mountaineering experience and the knowledge and use of specialized equipment is required.
Comments