According to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, a 40-year-old hiker was recently rescued from West Maroon Pass after a dangerous bout with altitude sickness.

At about 5:08 a.m. on Wednesday, a Garmin inReach device was used to send out an SOS signal from a location near the top of the pass, which is about 13 miles southwest of Aspen and a popular hiking and backpacking trail. The device had been loaned to the hiker, who was alone at the time of the incident.

Per the call for help, the hiker was very sick and vomiting, believed to be due to the altitude. The hiker reported they were otherwise healthy.

An air ambulance from Montrose was flown in to rescue the hiker, ultimately locating the hiker in their tent at 11,660 feet of elevation with the crest of the pass at 12,500 feet.

The hiker was being flown to Aspen Valley Hospital by 7:42 a.m.

This incident shows how crucial it is to make sure there’s a means of communicating with the outside world while in Colorado’s backcountry. Even very experienced outdoorspeople can have accidents or be impacted by the elevation.

In this case, the use of the Garmin inReach GPS communication device allowed for a quick rescue, as these devices can also communicate the exact location of a user to search and rescue teams.

Altitude sickness is not something to take lightly, as it can kill if symptoms get serious enough. This is believed to be the case in a recent death at Rocky Mountain National Park.

While the best way to reduce the effects of altitude sickness is to get to a lower elevation, that’s not always possible. Nausea, dizziness, and exhaustion associated with the condition can make travel impossible or very unsafe, especially while in dangerous terrain.

If you’re interested in supporting Colorado’s volunteer-powered search and rescue operation, one way to do so is through the purchase of a CORSAR card. It’s cheap, at only $3 per year.

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