Victim dies after falling 150 feet from rock formation in Colorado
Emergency crews responded to a 'tragic incident' near Eagle Gate and Pine Valley Road on Thursday morning, Elk Creek Fire Department announced.
An adult, whose identity has not been publicly identified, died after a fall of approximately 150 feet from a rock formation southwest of Conifer, 'with a significant portion of the fall being a free fall,' the fire department said.
It's not immediately clear what the person was doing in the area or what caused the fall.
Bethany Urban, the fire department's spokesperson, told the Denver Post that authorities are working to determine whether the person was climbing on public or private property.
'It was a recovery, unfortunately, not a rescue,' Urban said.
The rescue crews conducted a 'difficult high angle rope recovery operation' with the support of various nearby authorities, including Conifer Fire, Alpine Rescue Team, and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
Photos published by Elk Creek Fire Department captured dozens of helmet-wearing rescue workers holding a long rope during the rescue operation.
'Our hearts are with the victim's loved ones during this incredibly painful time,' Elk Creek Fire said.
The harrowing incident comes days after someone else fell hundreds of feet in the state.
On Wednesday, the Alpine Rescue Team rescued a person who fell 200 feet in 'steep snow' at Saint Mary's Glacier, the department said.
The victim suffered 'significant injuries' and was life-flighted. The crew was able to stabilize the patient.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
36 minutes ago
- CBS News
Colorado man turns himself in on charges of child sexual exploitation
A 33-year-old Colorado man has been arrested and now faces 20 counts of sexual exploitation of a child after a federal, state, and local law enforcement task force allegedly found child sexual abuse material depicting a child under 12 years old on his hard drive. Michael Anthony Reyes, of Longmont, turned himself in at the Boulder County Jail on an arrest warrant on Friday, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said on Tuesday. Boulder County officials were notified that an FBI agent received the material in question from someone in the Boulder area in an undercover operation. Investigators say they served court orders for information from electronic service providers, identified Reyes as a suspect, and served a search warrant at his Longmont home on Sept. 3, 2024. They seized several electronic devices and sent them to the Regional Computer Forensic Lab for processing. An arrest warrant was issued for Reyes on the 20 counts, which are considered a class 3 "extraordinary risk" felony, and days after turning himself in, he was released from the Boulder County Jail on a $20,000 secured bond on the condition that he not have contact with anyone under 18 and not access social media or cloud storage devices. Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty touted the work of investigators while highlighting the problem of sex crimes against children. "Since the Boulder County Digital Forensics Lab started working these investigations, three things have been made clear. First, there are individuals distributing and using child sexual abuse material in every community; so, we are fortunate to have this outstanding team pursuing these cases in Boulder County. Second, these cases involve actual victims because of what the videos depict. Finally, in this jurisdiction, the investigators and prosecutors will work hard to search out offenders, protect victims, and fight for justice," he said in a statement. Court records show Reyes has not yet hired or been assigned an attorney as of Tuesday. He's due back in court on Aug. 28/ If you suspect a child is being sexually exploited online, you can report it online at NCMEC's CyberTipLine website or by calling 1-800-THE-LOST.
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Colorado man arrested, accused of impersonating a police officer to avoid I-25 traffic
A Colorado man was arrested and accused of outfitting his SUV with lights and sirens to avoid traffic on Interstate 25 in Lone Tree. Police believe he might have been involved in other incidents involving that alleged activity. Terry Pendleton has never served in law enforcement, according to Lone Tree police, but he allegedly equipped his black Ford Explorer SUV with red and blue lights, an audible siren, and a working public address system to get people to move over when he was driving on I-25. Pendleton, 58, was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Douglas County Jail on charges of impersonating a police officer, a felony. He's being held on a $1,000 cash or surety bond and is due back in court on Friday. He's being represented by the public defender's office. Lone Tree police are asking anyone who may have seen Pendleton or his vehicle engaged in similar behavior to contact them. Court records indicate he's received at least two speeding tickets in the past two decades, but nothing related to impersonation of a law enforcement officer before this in Colorado.
CBS News
3 hours ago
- CBS News
"Special" K-9 and handler were among the Colorado first responders who helped out in Texas after flooding
At first glance, Pickles looks like any other working dog -- eager to get to work and ready to move. But a closer look reveals something different. "He's a bit of a special dog," said Michael Zukowski, Pickles' handler and longtime member of Colorado Task Force One. "He's got kind of a malformed face." Pickles, a 3-year-old black Labrador, was born with a cleft palate and some facial paralysis. Still, none of that affects what he was born to do: work. "With his nose, I jokingly say it's a cheat code sometimes because when he gets an odor and he starts taking those big deep breaths, he actually snorts," said Zukowski. "I can hear it from quite a distance so I can tell when he gets an odor." Pickles is a human remains detection dog, one of just three certified by FEMA in Colorado and one of only 90 in the U.S. His keen nose and unrelenting drive make him a critical part of the task force. "I jokingly say it's a cheat code sometimes," Zukowski said. "When he gets an odor and starts taking those big deep breaths, he actually snorts, and I can hear it from quite a distance. So, I can tell when he's got something." Pickles and Zukowski recently returned from a two-week deployment in Texas following deadly flooding in Kerr County. Along ravaged riverbanks and through large debris fields, the pair searched for the missing – including at Camp Mystic, where several young girls and counselors lost their lives. "There were several days when I had to dial it back and put him in a kennel in an air-conditioned vehicle for about two hours to cool his body temperature down," Zukowski said. "And he still wanted to work." Zukowski, who's responded to disasters around the world during his 15-year career with Colorado Task Force One, said the flooding in Texas was some of the worst he's ever seen. "It's probably one of the more destructive ones I've seen for water damage," he said. "Second to the typhoon in the Philippines." Now back home, Pickles is getting some well-deserved rest and playtime with Zukowski. It's a chance to just be a dog, even if he doesn't quite look like the rest. "You're a happy dog," Zukowski said to Pickles. Still, that downtime won't last long. Pickles has at least 30 hours of training scheduled each month to stay sharp for the next mission – whenever and wherever that call may come.
