Hiker Dan Wallick Found Dead After Climbing 2 Colorado Mountains
(CBS4) - Search crews say they have recovered the body of Dan Wallick, a 41-year-old hiker who went missing after summitting two 14ers in southern Colorado. Wallick spent part of his youth in Colorado and was stationed with the Air Force in Colorado Springs along with his wife and two young children.
Wallick was reported missing on Wednesday. He contacted his family after he summitted Kit Carson Peak and Challenger Point. His family did not hear from him again.
Custer County crews worked with other agencies on the ground and in the air to find Wallick. Photos of Saturday's aerial operation were provided by Fremont Search And Rescue, Inc.
Wallick's body was recovered on Sunday.
On Monday, a spokesperson with Custer County Search And Rescue told CBS4 the agency has had four operations in this area since 2017, all within a quarter mile radius of one another.
Three people were rescued in 2017 and 2018's incidents. The agency said the three individuals all ventured off established trails.
The last two operations have been Tyler Cline's recovery in late June and Wallick's recovery this month. While CCSAR did not speculate about the cause and Cline and Wallick's accidents, their bodies were found in difficult terrain.
In all those cases, the subjects had been hiking alone.
CCSAR asked backcountry explorers to take several precautions:
- Leave a detailed itinerary, either in your vehicle or with a trusted individual
- Don't hike alone
- Start early - end early
- Check extended weather forecasts
- Don't deviate from your overall plan or take short cuts
- Always carry the 10 essentials
- Be honest with and do not exceed your capabilities
- Re-ascend the terrain, if you are off-route or call for help with a cell phone or Personal Locator Beacon (and wait for rescue)
For the Kit Carson Peak and Challenger Point area, CCSAR advised hikers to stay on the route over the two peaks and in the saddle between them, and to avoid the temptation to take short cuts.
A GoFundMe page has been established to benefit Wallick's wife and children.
