Office Work Retreat Turns Dangerous for Hiking Group: One Hiker Rescued After Night in the Mountains

A group of 15 hikers on an office work retreat found themselves in a perilous situation when one hiker became separated from the rest and ended up spending a night alone in the mountains. The incident occurred on Friday when Chaffee County Search and Rescue South received a report about an overdue hiker on the Mount Shavano standard route.

According to rescue workers, the group of hikers had set out from the Blanks Cabin Trailhead at sunrise and split up into two smaller groups. While one group was attempting to reach the summit, the remaining hikers were ascending to the saddle before returning. Unfortunately, one hiker was left to complete his final summit push alone.

The hiker successfully reached the summit around 11:30 a.m., but encountered difficulties while descending. The markers that were supposed to guide him had been removed by the previous group. As a result, he became disoriented and found himself in a challenging terrain of steep boulders and scree slopes.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the hiker sent a pin drop to his coworkers who were already descending. They informed him that he was on the wrong path and advised him to climb back up the slope to reconnect with the trail. By 3:50 p.m., he had almost regained the ridge between Shavano and Tabeguache and sent another pin drop to indicate his proximity to the trail.

However, fate took a turn for the worse as a severe storm with freezing rain and high winds suddenly struck the hiker. This unexpected assault caused him to lose his bearings once again and even disrupted his cell service, cutting off his communication with his group.

Concerned for his safety, the search and rescue teams were alerted when the hiker failed to return by 9 p.m. A drone and ground teams were immediately dispatched to search the area. The adverse weather conditions, including strong winds and freezing rain, rendered summit attempts unsafe and restricted the use of the drone for aerial searches.

Despite the extensive search efforts throughout the night, no signs of the missing hiker were found. An additional search operation was organized the next morning at 10 a.m. Miraculously, just as the teams were entering the field, the hiker regained enough cell service to call 911.

He was located above the North Fork drainage in a gully below Espirit Point. The hiker explained to the rescue workers that he had become extremely disoriented during his descent, experiencing frequent falls and losing consciousness during his last fall, which left him unable to regain his footing.

Thanks to the prompt response and actions of the rescue workers, the hiker was safely extracted from the remote location. His condition was stabilized before being transported to a nearby hospital for further medical attention.

"This hiker was phenomenally lucky to have regained cell service when he did and to still have enough consciousness to call 911. Although located in a tertiary search area, it would have taken some time for teams to reach that location on their own," commented Chaffee County Search and Rescue South.

In light of this incident, Chaffee County SAR emphasized the importance of hiking with a partner, wearing bright clothing, and being equipped with the necessary essentials for the trail. The agency hopes that this serves as a reminder to all outdoor enthusiasts to prioritize safety and preparedness when venturing into the wilderness.