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Hiker rescued from Capitol Peak

Staff report

A 35-year-old man fell while ascending Capitol Peak on Wednesday morning and had to be helicoptered to safety, according to a statement.

Emergency dispatchers received a call at about 10:15 a.m. from the hiker, Adam Einhardt, who reported that he’d fallen off the summit of K2 Peak, located next to Capitol Peak, according to the statement from the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office. He said he fell about 10 feet off a ledge and suffered a deep laceration to his right wrist and hand, the statement says.

“He was able to walk, however the bleeding was severe enough to warrant extrication,” the statement says.



Three Mountain Rescue Aspen members spotted him from aboard a Blackhawk helicopter, flown by The High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site in Gypsum, about 12:10 p.m., roughly 250 feet below Capitol Peak’s Knife Edge, according to the statement. The Mountain Rescue Aspen crew rappelled down to him, stabilized his injuries and hoisted him into the Blackhawk, according to the statement. Another Mountain Rescue Aspen ground crew hiked in to provide communication and emergency back-up.

Einhardt, whose hometown was not available, was taken to Aspen’s airport, then to Aspen Valley Hospital.

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