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VIDEO: Ouray Mountain Rescue Team Awaits National Guard To Hoist Injured Hiker Off Mount Sneffels

OURAY COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Incredible video from the Ouray Mountain Rescue Teams shows the moment an injured hiker was hoisted off Mount Sneffels by the Colorado National Guard. OMRT first responded to the trailhead on Friday at around noon after receiving a distress call which they say was immediately followed by a cancel notification.

The team had to wait until around 3 p.m. because of a heavy thunderstorm with lightning.

Sneffels Rescue pic6 (Ouray Mtn Rescue Team on FB)
(credit: Ouray Mountain Rescue Team)

They later learned the hike fell from the summit and landed on boulders between the summit and Lavender col. When they reached the man, they were met with more rain which they described as a torrential downpour with hail and lightning in the immediate vicinity.

The mountain stands 14,158 feet tall, and the rescued happened a few hundred feet below that at 13,800 feet.

Sneffels Rescue pic4 (rescuers and patient watching sunrise, Ouray Mtn Rescue Team on FB)
(credit: Ouray Mountain Rescue Team)

The team decide to stay put for the night, and another team brought them extra supplies including flood, water and oxygen for the patient which wasn't until after midnight because of mudslides and slippery trail conditions.

Sneffels Rescue pic1 (Ouray Mtn Rescue Team on FB)
(credit: Ouray Mountain Rescue Team)

About seven hours later, a Colorado National Guard flew over ready to pluck the hiker off the mountain. The hiker was later transferred to an air ambulance which took him to a hospital.

They are reportedly in stable condition, but details about their injuries were not released.

OMRT urges hikers to start their hikes at dawn and be back down by noon due to unpredictable weather. They say hikers should leave a detailed travel plan with a family member or close friend.

The rescue team also notes they are made up of volunteers and are only funded by donations.

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