Members of Garfield County Search and Rescue assist a stranded climber down from the mountainside in Glenwood Springs, CO. This image was captured with a drone.

Garfield County Search and Rescue completes cliff rescue in Glenwood

PRESS RELEASE
August 17, 2022

Shortly after 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022, Garfield County Search and Rescue (GCSAR) was activated to rescue a female stranded on a cliff above the community center in Glenwood Springs. Earlier in the day, the couple had been hiking along the Wulfshon Trail and strayed from the trail. This ultimately led to the female being “cliffed-out” about 30 yards below her male partner.

Search and rescue members arrived on scene shortly thereafter; they determined that a rope rescue ultimately would be needed to get the female down.

With the ropes and rigging in place, a search and rescue member reached the female shortly after 5:30 p.m. The rescue team began the process of getting both the GCSAR member and the stranded hiker back to safe ground. The team brought her up the cliff using ropes and a harness, as needed after determining that they did not have enough rope on hand to take her down the cliff. Ultimately, the rescue was completed and both hikers returned safely.

We are thankful for our trained volunteers with the GCSAR, as well as the Glenwood Springs Fire Department and its paramedics, who assisted with the rescue, attending to any medical needs of the hikers.

You can become a part of this exciting group of volunteers, the GCSAR, whether you interests lie in rope rescues, water rescues, or year-round backcountry search and rescues. You will be trained to use the equipment necessary to manage these rescues safely.

Find out more about the Garfield County Search and Rescue team.