On Monday afternoon, a snowboarder found himself in a dangerous situation after taking a fall on the Skyscraper Glacier, just north of Rollins Pass. According to Boulder County, the 27-year-old was attempting to descend the glacier when he slid and tumbled about 100 feet into a bergschrund, a sizeable crevasse that's often found on glaciers. Boulder County Communications Center received a distress call for the injured snowboarder at approximately 2:25 p.m. on Monday, triggering a collaborative rescue operation.
Multiple agencies, including the Northern Colorado MedEvac, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, and Grand County Search and Rescue, coordinated efforts to reach and safely extract the man from the frigid trapping of the glacier. After airlifting RMRG volunteers to a ridge above, other rescue personnel made their way with UTVs and ATVs through Rollins and Corona Pass. Volunteers climbed a 300-foot stretch through the snow to access and administer first aid to the injured individual around 5:45 p.m., the sheriff's office reported.
The Colorado Search and Rescue Association communicated with the Colorado National Guard, considering a helicopter hoist to lift the patient from the glacier. Meanwhile, rescuers devised a safer uphaul system to raise the man over the treacherous terrain. The patient was continuously cared for during the precarious journey to the top of the snowfield, where he was lifted a further 50 feet over a deteriorating ridge before MedEvac transported him to a local hospital for additional treatment at around 8:10 p.m., Boulder County officials confirmed.
