Woman In Critical Condition After 1,500-Pound Boulder Falls
GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4) - A woman hiking on North Table Mountain was trapped by a 1,500 pound boulder Wednesday afternoon.
CBS4 was told the rock apparently fell on her, according to Golden fire and police spokesperson Karlyn Tilley. The 30-year-old victim, who has yet to be identified, has multiple fractures and listed in critical condition but is said to be stable.
The woman, from Europe, was in town for a conference and was supposed to go rock climbing with a man she just met.
"He heard a large cracking sound, he looked up, and about 30 feet above them saw this boulder," Tilley said. "They couldn't get out of the way fast enough, it just happened so quickly."
A passerby saw the accident and rushed down the mountain for help.
"As he was running down, there were two paramedics with Littleton Fire that just happened to be hiking in the area," Tilley told CBS4's Andrea Flores. "They were not far away from her, and were able to start administering aid to her almost immediately."
Once rescue crews got to the scene, the hard part had only just begun.
"We had to hike in a hydraulic lifting system with air bags so that we could lift the boulder off of her just enough to safely get her out," said Tilley.
Crews then carried the woman for another 45 minutes to the top of the mountain, where she was airlifted to the hospital.
Golden fire says recent weather changes could be to blame.
"When the soil is really soft like this it's possible rocks will get a little bit looser than normal, but really something like this could happen anytime, anywhere," Tilley said.
No restrictions have been put on the trail since the accident.
Andrea Flores is a reporter for CBS4. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter @AndreaFloresTV.
