On Saturday, June 4, 2022, at approximately 9:53 a.m. the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office received a call in reference to an emergency beacon which was reporting a skiing accident above the Fourth of July Trailhead, on the flank of South Arapaho Peak in an area known as Skywalker Couloir, in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. The Sheriff’s Office was able to map the location of the accident and get further information about the severity of the injuries, believed to have been sustained from a fall down the couloir.

Med Evac air ambulance was notified of the call; they met a rescuer from the Rocky Mountain Rescue Group at the Boulder Airport, and flew him into the area of the accident. The Colorado Army National Guard was also notified of the incident through Colorado Search and Rescue, to begin the process of ordering a helicopter for a hoist rescue.

Rescuers arrived at the patient, a 27-year-old male from Boulder County, at approximately 12:43 p.m. The patient was then hoisted out of the accident site by a Colorado Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopter. The patient was transferred to the Med Evac helicopter and transported from the scene to a Denver area hospital at 1:47 p.m. with life-threatening injuries.

Agencies involved in the rescue included: Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, American Medical Response, Alpine Rescue Team, Colorado Army National Guard, Colorado Search and Rescue, Med Evac, Nederland Fire Protection District, and the Rocky Mountain Rescue Group.

The associated Boulder County Sheriff’s Office case number is: #22- 02578.