A Colorado man survived a night alone on a mountain — while injured — after being abandoned by his coworkers during an office retreat. Rescuers warned that could lead to some “awkward office encounters” in the days and weeks ahead.
Colorado’s Chaffee County Search and Rescue South (CCSAR-S) shared the hiker’s terrifying experience in a Facebook post earlier this week, saying it was “activated for a report of a late hiker” around 9 p.m. last Friday. The hiker was wearing all black on the standard route up Mount Shavano, a high peak in the southern Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains.
The hiker was part of a group of 15 people who went on a hiking retreat at the office. One group was attempting to reach the summit and another group was climbing to the pass and returning from there, CCSAR-S wrote in its message.
“When the topic reached its peak at 11:30 am,[am] and turned to descend, he became disoriented and found items left in the rock field to mark the descent of the previous group, which had been picked up as they descended,” CCSAR-S said, adding: “On his initial attempts to descend, he found himself in the steep rock and debris field on the northeast slopes toward Shavano Lake.”
The group noticed that the hiker sent a location pin drop to his colleagues who were already descending. The colleagues then informed him that his route was wrong and instructed him to climb back up the slope to find the trail. At around 3:50 p.m., the hiker sent another location pin drop to his colleagues as he was nearing the ridge between the Mt Shavano and Tabeguache Peak trailheads.
Shortly after the hiker reported his location, a storm passed through the area with “ice and high winds,” causing the hiker to become disoriented again and lose cell signal.
After receiving a report of a missing hiker at 9:00 p.m. that evening, CCSAR-S deployed two teams and a drone pilot. The teams worked from the last known point on the ridge between Mt Shavano and Tabeguache and were focused on clearing the standard route to the last known point, as well as the Shavano Lake and Squaw Creek drainages.
CCSAR-S wrote in a Facebook post that the teams encountered strong winds and icy conditions, making it not only unsafe to reach the summit but also difficult for the drone operator.
A medical rescue helicopter also assisted the teams in the search and “despite several search patterns being flown through the area[,] “No sources of artificial light were detected, apart from search teams on the mountain,” the message said. The teams remained in the field until 9 a.m. the next morning, with no sign of the hiker.
A second search began that morning, with the help of at least nine other search and rescue groups, including those from nearby provinces.
With the second search underway, the hiker managed to get enough cell coverage to call 911. The hiker “reported being very disoriented during his descent, and falling at least 20 times on the steep slopes below Esprit Point toward the North Fork.” It added that after the last fall, he was unable to get back up, but “very fortunately had enough cell coverage to make his call.”
After locating the hiker, search and rescue teams used technical rope lowering equipment to bring him down from the mountain. He was then stabilized and evaluated by search and rescue personnel before being taken to a hospital for further care.
In a Facebook post, CCSAR-S issued a public reminder urging hikers to always hike with a partner, bring bright clothing and remember to pack the “10 Essentials in Your Daypack.”
They also joked in the post that the ordeal “could lead to some awkward office encounters in the days and weeks ahead.”
According to the National Park Service, the 10 essentials are navigation, sun protection, insulation, lighting, first aid supplies, fire, repair kits and tools, nutrition, hydration, and emergency shelter.
News of the stranded hiker sparked mixed reactions online, with some praising the SAR teams, while others criticized his colleagues.
“Excellent teamwork in response to non-existent teamwork! Well done,” one person wrote on Facebook. Another user said: “15 of you and NONE of you went back to help or stayed with them?! Wow.”
Someone else echoed similar sentiments, writing, “So… not only did they leave him behind in the first place while they were getting to the top, but then his coworkers let him go up to the top alone, and then they moved rock markers on the way back down. Wow. Great team building experience. Glad he’s doing well. Hopefully he finds a new job soon.”
