Firefighters make second rescue in one week at abandoned missile silo in Colorado

Firefighters were called to the scene of an abandoned missile silo in Colorado overnight when they say a person snuck onto private property and became stuck inside.

According to the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, deputies patrolling the area near a restricted property noticed two vehicles parked near the gate just after midnight. When they checked the property, they heard voices coming from inside a 60-foot-deep underground shaft of an abandoned missile silo.

They say a 19-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman were at the bottom of the silo. Although the man was able to use a rope ladder to climb out, the ACSO says the woman couldn't get out.

Members of the Sable Altura Fire Rescue responded to the scene and rescued the woman. Neither of the people who entered the silo were injured.

The sheriff's office stressed that these abandoned silos can be dangerous and warned people to stay off private property.

"Restricted properties and underground confined spaces, like this missile silo, are extremely dangerous. Hidden hazards, unstable conditions, toxic gases, and deep vertical shafts can quickly turn exploration into a life-threatening emergency. Please respect gates and posted signs, stay off private property, and avoid entering confined spaces," the ACSO said. "This incident is a reminder that deputies are actively patrolling in our community, even during the overnight hours. Their attention to suspicious activity led to a rescue that could have ended very differently."

This is the second rescue from an abandoned silo in Arapahoe County this week. It's also the fourth time in the last two years the sheriff's office has had to make a rescue like this.

The ACSO says both people involved in this most recent incident have been issued summonses for second-degree criminal trespass.