Hurt Hiker Airlifted Out of Rocky Mountain National Park

DENVER --

An injured hiker was airlifted out of Rocky Mountain National Park but two members of the rescue team had to stay behind because there wasn't enough room in the helicopter for everyone.

Rescuers got a signal from a SPOT emergency locator beacon near Lost Lake on Wednesday at about 5 p.m., said Rocky Mountain National Park spokeswoman Kyle Patterson.

At 6:50 p.m. two park rangers, including one park medic, flew with the pilot and a helicopter crew member to the general area where the SPOT had been activated.

At 7:15 p.m., rescuers reached 27-year-old Matt Martin from Syracuse, Ind.

Martin said he slid 30 yards on a snowfield above Lost Lake and had broken his leg.

Since there wasn't enough room on the helicopter for Martin, a park ranger and one member of the helicopter crew stayed behind. Because the helicopter couldn't fly back in the dark to pick them up, the ranger and helicopter crew member spent the night at a patrol cabin in the northern part of the park.

At 8:45 p.m., Martin and a park medic flew with the pilot back to a helispot in the park near Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. Martin was taken by ambulance to Estes Park Medical Center.

Martin was camping with another person who remained overnight at their back country site.

The helicopter was a Grand Teton National Park helicopter staged at Rocky Mountain National Park to help with the Cow Creek Fire.

Lost Lake is located 9.7 miles from the North Fork Trailhead.

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