Mountain Rescue Aspen saves injured backcountry skier in Elk Range

Mountain Rescue Aspen successfully saved a backcountry skier near Mace Peak in the Elk Range on Saturday after they were injured.

A medical SOS reached the Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center at approximately 9:45 a.m. Saturday morning from Mace Peak, according to a press release. Parker Lathrop, the chief deputy of operations for the Pitkin County Sheriff, confirmed the injury was to a lower extremity.

“The patient was unable to move under their own power,” Lathrop said.

The injured skier was one of a party of four.

The call was forwarded to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, which notified Mountain Rescue Aspen that a backcountry rescue “would be necessary,” the release reads.  

Four members of Mountain Rescue Aspen were already skiing in the area and were able to arrive on scene as the SOS was being sent, according to the release. The Mountain Rescue Aspen command contacted Flight for Life and assembled more teams including tracked ATVs and additional skiers to assist with the evacuation.

In total, 16 mountain rescue members were involved.

Because of the peak’s location near Tagert Hut, Mountain Rescue Aspen was able to retrieve an emergency sled from the hut to evacuate the skier to a selected landing zone, the release states.

The skier was evacuated via Flight for Life and transferred to Aspen Valley Health for further care, the release confirms.

All team members were out of the field at 1:10 p.m., according to the release.

“The Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the dedicated, all-volunteer team at Mountain Rescue Aspen, along with Flight for Life, for their continued service to the community,” the release reads. “Mountain Rescue Aspen and the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind backcountry skiers to always be prepared and carry a satellite communication device for emergencies.” 

Lathrop noted that he’s heard mixed reports about the conditions in the Elk Range, noting that snow coverage isn’t consistent and things are melting out.