Rescue on Torreys Peak | June 12, 2025

[walks_a_lot]

Just before 5PM yesterday Alpine was paged for 2 individuals off route on Kelso ridge. Mission leaders were able to maintain phone contact with the parties and gave them direction to get back on route and to the summit. After an hour the two parties had made it to the summit and the team was preparing to stand down.

While on the phone with an Alpine mission leader the pair was struck by lightning with one reported unresponsive. The team began an emergent response along with Clear Creek EMS and Clear Creek Fire.

5 ground teams were sent into the field to perform an evac from the summit, while simultaneously a hoist was requested.

2 Rescue Techs from Vail Mountain Rescue Group were inserted on the summit around 11PM and were able to hoist the critical patient. A small Alpine team continued to the summit to assist with the second patient. The second patient along with a Rescue Tech and the Alpine members were flown from the summit at midnight. All other field teams were out around 3 this morning.

This call illustrates how quickly situations change in Colorado's high country, and the importance of having your 10 essentials and being prepared for a lengthy evacuation.

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/DK2VeCTObx_ ... mg_index=2

[denvermikey]

Struck by lightning while ON THE PHONE with rescue???
What a wild story. Hope all are ok.

[Trotter]

Glad they are ok, but hopefully they learned about how making your way up in the afternoon comes with lightning risk. Also, TURN AROUND if there are dark clouds.

[Wildernessjane]

Glad they are ok, but hopefully they learned about how making your way up in the afternoon comes with lightning risk. Also, TURN AROUND if there are dark clouds.

To be fair, they were off route and may have deemed it would be safer to summit and go down the easier way than to down climb Kelso Ridge. I’m guessing they were in over their heads on Kelso Ridge.

[HikerGuy]

https://apnews.com/article/colorado-mou ... 99ab4262cb

[justiner]

Cripes I was just on Torreys on Tuesday. Not the greatest weather either. I'm not going to shake my finger, glad they're safe, glad the rescuers are too as far as I understand.

[nyker]

Man, this must have been a harrowing day, finally getting back on track then struck by lightning. Reminds me of when the folks got hit on Half Dome years ago.

Not being critical at all, but purely trying to understand the situation more since I have no information, but were the climbers on the mountain all day from an early morning start or had they started up later?
Says they were from NY, but not much else detail.