Missing hiker on Pikes Peak, last heard from night of March 28, found alive

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A man who endured two nights alone near the summit of Pikes Peak is now back with his family.

Michael Ransom arrived on a cog railway traincar around 8:15pm Wednesday evening, along with the rescuers who likely saved his life.

He was brought inside the train station and privately reunited with his family, walking on his own and without any obvious injury.

El Paso County Search and Rescue (EPSAR) told KRDO earlier Wednesday they were first paged about a missing hiker on Pikes Peak near the timberline around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Due to weather conditions, however, they weren't able to get any aircraft in the air Tuesday.

Instead, a ground team began searching in the area of the A-frame, past the Barr Camp. The team began searching again Wednesday morning.

Halie Ransom, the sister of Michael Ransom, posted on Facebook Tuesday that she last spoke to him Monday at 10 p.m. According to her post, Ransom was four miles from the summit of Pikes Peak. At that time, Ransom told her he felt elevation sickness but that he was fine in his tent.

Halie says Ransom was supposed to take the train down the peak at 3:30p.m. on Tuesday, but because of weather conditions, the train canceled the ride. When the train tried notifying him, Haile says officials told her mother he didn't answer his phone at 1 p.m. Tuesday when they tried calling, noting his phone appeared to be dead.

According to Halie, Ransom was found around noon Wednesday alive but hurt.

To learn more about being prepared when hiking, visit El Paso County Search and Rescue's website by clicking here.