Colorado Springs Hiker Dies From Fall

One man is dead and another had to be rescued from the hiking trail at St. Peter’s Dome Overlook in the Pike National Forest. Rescuers say it was a very difficult recovery mission, as they scrambled to find two men who were stranded on the mountain top.

“The initial report we had led us to a different area, so we had to change course in mid-stride to get around to that area. There are no trails that connect those two climbs,” said Colorado Springs Firefighter Richard Renz.

One man was stranded in the rough terrain, while his companion died on the slope. “There were steep slope angles and lots of angles. There was a lots of debris in the area. It was a very treacherous trail, said Firefighter Richard Renz who helped in recovery efforts.

The terrain and remote location made it harder because response time was increased. But we always make every effort to get here as quickly as possible to offer what aid we can,” said Sgt. Charles Kull of the El Paso Sheriff’s Office.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating what caused one of the climbers to fall. “There may have been a piece of equipment placed in the rocks as a climbing aid that they are looking at as a possibility. But at this point, everything is still under investigation,” said Renz.

The uninjured man was quickly rescued, but getting the other climber took several hours. “We had to set up a set of ropes and pullies to put him into a stokes litter to get him down,” said Renz.