Hiker Airlifted From Mountains At Nighttime Near Aspen
ASPEN, Colo. (AP) — A hiker from Missouri is recovering after a rare nighttime rescue from the mountains near Aspen.
Rescuers reached 28-year-old Christopher Michael Fontaine of the Kansas City suburb of Grain Valley in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness around 9 p.m. Tuesday. The Pitkin County Sheriff's Office says rescuers called for a helicopter to airlift him immediately because of his condition.
No other details were immediately available but he was flown to Aspen Valley Hospital for treatment.
Rescuers began searching for Fontaine Tuesday afternoon after getting reports of a hiker in distress near Snowmass Lake and a call from Fontaine's employer after he failed to show up for work.
The lake is located at about 11,000 feet. The Aspen Times reports it's a popular midpoint camping spot for hikers climbing Snowmass Mountain.
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