Three search and rescue team members were injured on Wednesday after getting caught in a rockslide on one of the most dangerous fourteeners in Colorado. 

According to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, search and rescue crews were searching Capitol Peak for a missing 32-year-old climber when the slide came crashing down on the mountain. The overdue hiker, Kelly McDermott, reportedly set out to summit the 14,130-foot peak early on Sunday morning, last seen at the trailhead parking lot on the previous night.

Injured crews were extricated from the mountain and transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation. No further information about their condition was available on Wednesday. 

Described as “long, tedious, and dangerous,” the standard route to the summit of Capitol Peak is rated as class four. This rating includes heavy exposure, scrambling on steep and unstable terrain, complex route finding, and the high potential for rockfall. The 17-mile route is notorious for its “knife edge,” a 150-foot narrow and jagged section on the mountain.

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A fourteener is any mountain that exceeds an elevation of 14,000 feet above sea level, with the term most-commonly used when referring to peaks located in Colorado. Hiking and climbing routes on these mountains can be very dangerous. Risks include rapidly changing weather conditions, fall hazards, exposure, unstable terrain, rockfall, and difficult route finding.

Always be prepared for emergencies while in the mountains. Never forget to tell someone exactly where you’ll be going, how long you expect to be gone, and when you plan on returning. Check the weather forecast and pack properly before hitting the trail.

This is a developing story. More information will be added as it becomes available

Editor’s Note: Here’s a quick piece regarding why we’ve decided to include accident and death coverage in our collection of content.

Help fund search and rescue missions across the state of Colorado by purchasing a CORSAR card at ihelpsearch.org. This is not an insurance card. By purchasing a card, you are helping reimburse teams for costs incurred in providing help to lost and injured hikers, climbers, mountain bikers, hunters, ATV riders, skiers, snowboarders, and more.