A mountain climbing outing in Colorado ended in tragedy Sunday when officials said a climber fell to his death on a high-altitude peak south of Aspen.
The fatal fall happened on Castle Peak, a rugged 14,272-foot summit in the Elk Mountains and one of Colorado’s famed “fourteeners,” Mountain Rescue Aspen reported.
Rescue crews were dispatched after the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a fallen climber, and team members reached the person by about 4 p.m., officials said.
Despite the response, authorities said the climber had suffered “injuries that were not survivable.”
The accident was reportedly seen by hikers in the area, including Rebecca Rees, who later described the devastating scene in a Facebook post.
“Unfortunately, we witnessed the event. It has been an extremely sad and terrible afternoon for all involved. He did not survive,” Rees wrote.
Rees said one witness, identified only as Robert, rushed toward the fallen climber moments after the incident, taking a dangerous risk in hopes there might still be time to help.
She noted that, in the end, the climber “wasn’t alone” during his final moments.
Rees said the rescue crew responded at a commendable speed. Despite the remote location, helicopter and ground teams reportedly reached nearly 13,000 feet in under two hours on a holiday weekend.
According to Mountain Rescue Aspen, officials used off-highway vehicles and helicopters to reach the remote area.
After a helicopter located the fallen climber, it returned to Aspen to pick up additional rescue personnel before taking them to the high-elevation area near the peak.
A total of 21 rescue members were sent into the field, and officials safely recovered and evacuated the deceased climber from the mountain shortly after 8 p.m.
Rees said the responders showed extraordinary compassion throughout the recovery effort.
“The response of search and rescue, the sheriff, and the coroner all made us feel like every single person matters. This young man had a story and we all care,” she said.
