YOUR AD HERE »

Man dies near false summit of Mt. Sopris

Staff Report

A man died Thursday on Mount Sopris, Pitkin County authorities reported.

A news release said that at approximately 1 p.m. Thursday, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a pair of female hikers who told dispatchers they had come across a man who was unconscious just below Sopris’ false summit.

Personnel from Aspen Ambulance, Mountain Rescue Aspen, Flight For Life Colorado, the High Altitude Aviation Training Site and the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office responded.



Dispatchers provided CPR instructions to the female hikers, who tried to revive the man, but he did not survive. The body of the male hiker was transported via helicopter to an ambulance that was waiting at the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport.

The Pitkin County Coroner’s Office has taken custody of the body and is completing an investigation in conjunction with the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office.



Due to poor cell service in the area, Pitkin County Sheriff’s spokesman Alex Burchetta said dispatchers focused on providing CPR instructions to the women who were hiking and did not gather a lot of specifics about the situation in which the victim was found. The Sheriff’s Office doesn’t know whether the man fell or suffered some kind of medical issue, or whether something else could have contributed to his death, he said.

Burchetta said rescuers and the women who found the man were still hiking down from Mount Sopris around 5 p.m. Thursday. He said deputies planned to meet with them to gather more information as soon as possible.

The identity and other information about the deceased hiker was not being released Thursday afternoon. The news release said the man’s identity will be released by the Pitkin County Coroner’s Office once next of kin has been notified.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Glenwood Springs and Garfield County make the Post Independent’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.