By Gilpin County Sheriff, Gilpin Ambulance, Timberline, Alpine Rescue, and Rocky Mountain Rescue teams
A 35-year-old man was rescued Sunday, February 4, after being injured while backcountry skiing.
The Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office, Gilpin Ambulance Authority, Timberline Fire Protection District, Alpine Rescue, and Rocky Mountain Rescue responded to a 911 call around 11 a.m. Sunday morning. The skier was injured in the area above Tolland Road in Rollinsville.
Rescue workers located 35-year-old Darren Smith of Boulder at the Forest Lakes trailhead, suffering from serious injuries to his ribs, pelvis, and lower extremities, according to Cherokee Blake of the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office.
A friend who had been skiing with Smith witnessed him tumbling down the mountain. Smith was unconscious when the friend got to him and summoned help, Blake advised.
It took several hours to rescue Smith, due to cold and windy conditions. He was two miles away from where rescue by snow cat was possible, so rescue workers skied in for those two miles and carried him to a track vehicle. Rescue by helicopter was not possible because of strong winds.
Smith was brought down Rollins Pass Road on the track vehicle at about 7:30 p.m. and taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries.
No rescue workers were injured.