Man Rescued After Falling While Hiking Colorado National Monument

A 45-year old man was rescued after falling while hiking the Colorado National Monument. The man was saved around 2 a.m.Thursday morning and sustained serious injuries.

The man called 911 around 8:30 on Sunday night because he fell into a canyon at the Colorado National Monument. Thank goodness he was prepared because it was over five hours before rescue crews could reach him.

According to the Mesa County Sheriff's Office Facebook:

Mesa County Sheriff's deputies, Colorado National Monument Rangers, Careflight, Mesa County Search & Rescue Ground Team, Mesa County Search & Rescue Technical Team, and Mesa County Search & Rescue communications Team, located him in the area of upper Liberty Cap Trail.

This hiker had reflective gear and a strobe light, which made finding him in the canyon a lot easier. Around 2 a.m. (Monday, April 22) the rescue crews got to him and transported him to the hospital via Careflight.

Five hours is a long time to be stuck in a canyon alone with serious injuries, despite the injuries -- this guy is lucky. I'm so glad that rescue crews were able to get to him and that he's on the road to recovery.