'Urgent' Rescue Effort To Save Injured Climber Took Place As NCAR Fire Was Growing In Boulder
BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - As firefighters battled the NCAR Fire on Saturday, a group of volunteers for Rocky Mountain Rescue Group was among those responding to help a seriously injured climber not far away. It all happened inside Eldorado Canyon State Park, an area some people were already evacuating due to the wildfire.
"We were toned out about one o'clock to a fallen climber in Eldorado Canyon State Park," said Drew Hildner, a leader with Rocky Mountain Rescue Group.
According to Hildner, the climber fell more than 30 feet, sustaining severe head and spinal injuries.
"This was definitely one of those injuries where we needed to get the patient to the hospital as soon as possible," Hildner said.
As the group and other rescue agencies raced to make that happen, they learned the situation outside the canyon was changing.
"We're kind of hearing traffic come through the radio that made it sound like this fire was starting to grow, had some extreme behavior," he said.
With no cell service, they worked even quicker, getting the patient out and to the hospital. The climber later underwent surgery and is expected to survive, Hildner said.
"We were already going as fast as we could, but it certainly added even more urgency to the situation," Hildner said.
It was an urgency some of the volunteers felt three months ago, when they responded to rescue calls after evacuating their own homes due to the Marshall Fire.
"It certainly adds stress, but it didn't affect anything too much, but unfortunately it's becoming all too common an occurrence," Hildner said.
This time, some volunteers evacuated their homes, while others, who are also firefighters, went back out to battle the NCAR Fire. Hildner said the rest stood ready in case there was another call.
"Rescue can happen at any time, any place, so we're always prepared for that, as are the fire agencies."
