Barbara Lawlor, Pinecliffe. Around 7:30 Sunday night, August 3, a report of a hiker who had fallen into a “crevasse” went out to Timberline Fire Protection District. A command was set up on the first switchback south of the Pinecliffe railroad crossing.

Gilpin EMTs arrived first on the scene and a paramedic edged his way down the steep, rocky slope to treat the patient, who was about three-quarters down the gully. The emergency personnel waited for TFPD firefighter Rob Savoye, who is a trained mountain rescue climber.

Savoye says, “I had just taught a low-angle rescue class last Saturday to the Gilpin and Timberline EMS. My background for many decades has been backcountry and technical rescues, and I have climbed in the Pinecliffe area for a long time.”

By the time Savoye arrived, dusk was falling fast on the canyon wall and even faster in the gully where the injured person and rescuers were waiting.

The first thing Savoye did was rig a handline to the patient. Then he made trips up and down the almost vertical crack in the cliff wall, ferrying medical supplies to the patient. Loose rock made the trip difficult and dangerous because of the risk of kicking rocks loose onto the emergency workers at the bottom of the funnel.

As Timberline volunteers worked, two more calls came in and TFPD personnel was relocated to those sites. Coal Creek Canyon Fire Protection District was toned out for mutual aid. Savoye decided that Rocky Mountain Rescue was also needed for the evacuation operation. At one point the responders considered lowering the patient to the bottom of the gully, which was a shorter distance than going up, and carrying the litter across South Boulder Creek to the railroad tracks.

“A lack of anchors made that difficult. RMR and I agreed that the most efficient and safest thing to do was haul the patient back up the gully. At this time it was dark.”

TFPD firefighters set up a spotlight on the railroad tracks across from the rescue site and other high-powered flashlights helped light the path up to the top. Once RMR had sufficient resources at the scene, the crew rigged a 3:1 raising system and sent a litter crew down to the patient where he was stabilized and wrapped up for the trip up the hill.

When the rescuers and the patient arrived at the top, the High County Auxiliary brought in food and drinks for the rescue teams. Gilpin Ambulance transported the patient, in stable condition, to the hospital while the firefighters dismantled the rope systems and ate and discussed the rescue.

The patient had reportedly been fishing with a friend and slipped on the lower portion of the uphill trek.

The rescue was over around 11:30 p.m.