Nine hikers, including students and staff from Douglas County School District, were rescued from the Rampart Range area in Colorado last week after failing to return from a hike by a predetermined check-in time near Indian Creek Campground.
According to Douglass County Search and Rescue, the missed check-in prompted a rapid response from ten agencies, which deployed ground teams, K9 units, ATVs, and drones to saturate the search area. Officials noted that the group’s decision to establish a check-in time in advance was a key factor in enabling rescuers to respond quickly.
During the operation, search teams determined the hikers had split into two separate groups somewhere along the trail system between Indian Creek Campground and Waterton Canyon near Lenny’s Rest.
A joint drone team from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Douglas County Search and Rescue located one of the missing groups from the air. Using the drone’s onboard speaker system, the team established communication with the subjects and confirmed through hand gestures that all members were uninjured. The hikers were directed to stay in the shade and wait for ground personnel, who reached them shortly afterward and escorted them out safely.
Nearly simultaneously, ground search teams located the second group near Lenny’s Rest and guided them out without incident. All nine hikers were recovered safely.
The following agencies contributed to the rescue operation: Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, West Douglas County Fire Protection District, South Metro Fire Rescue, West Metro Fire Rescue, U.S. Forest Service, Douglas County Office of Emergency Management, Douglas County Rangers, and the Douglas County School District Security Team.
Douglas County Search and Rescue emphasized the role of multi-agency coordination in the mission’s success and thanked all participating organizations for their response.
