On 9.1.24 AVSAR leadership was contacted in regards to a hiker in medical distress approximately 2 miles up the Zapata trail. It was reported that the hiker was blue in the face, having trouble speaking, with an elevated heart rate and numb hands, while laying on the trail unable to walk.
AVSAR immediately began requesting assets to assist in a speedy rescue of the hiker. REACH 29 inserted two team members into the Zapata Basin to hike down to the hiker and AVSAR inserted 5 team members on foot from the trail head. The colorado army national guard was requested to hoist the hiker out and transfer him to medical care via REACH29.
Upon arrival to the hikers location, AVSAR team members began medically assesing the hiker and provided supplemental oxygen. The hiker needed to be moved approximately 150ft uphill to an opening in the trees on the trail to execute the hoist. The hiker greatly struggled even moving 150ft and needed to be assisted by SAR personnel. Once the hiker was successfully hoisted off the mountain, he was transferred to the care of REACH29, and then was taken via ground ambulance to a local hospital.
Much gratitude to the following organizations for assisting with this mission:
Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office
Eagle Air Med
REACH Air Medical Services
Colorado National Guard