Alpine rescue crews in Colorado are saving more people by helicopter this summer. It’s dangerous work

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A few weeks back, a pair of hikers found themselves stranded on a cliff atop Quandary Peak – 14,000 feet in elevation – in cold temperatures. A rescue crew had to respond by helicopter and lift them off the mountain.

It was one of 10 helicopter hoists that Colorado search and rescue crews performed this year through the end of June. That’s a record number. These dangerous maneuvers require helicopters to get close enough to rocky peaks to lower a rope and harness to people in trouble.

And the rescue on Quandary Peak wasn’t even the most dramatic. Another recent rescue helped climbers who were struck by lightning and also set the record for Colorado’s highest-altitude hoist.

Ryan Spencer, a reporter for the Summit Daily News, wrote about this spike in helicopter hoists. He told Erin O’Toole that it’s not clear why this increase in helicopter rescues is happening – but the stories about them are harrowing.

Correction: An earlier version of this episode gave the incorrect number of helicopter hoists performed in Colorado this year through June. The correct number is 10.

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Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

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