At approximately 2:45 p.m. on Monday, July 6, 2026 deputies and San Miguel County Search and Rescue personnel responded to a Garmin SOS activation from an injured individual in the Columbine Basin, approximately six miles south-southeast above Bridal Veil Falls near Telluride. The 31-year-old Grand Junction, Colorado, man reported via the SOS message that he fell 150 to 200 feet after a BASE jumping parachute failure and believed he broke his leg, couldn’t walk and needed assistance.
Motorcycles and UTVs transported rescuers to the Lewis Lake area, where they hiked another 1.5 miles carrying a litter and other rescue equipment to reach the man. Several members of San Juan County SAR responded to assist and began their ascent from their county access point.
A CARE Flight helicopter was also deployed and landed at an established landing zone by the Idarado Mine at the base of Bridal Veil Road. The helicopter then flew to the scene at approximately 13,000 feet with a SAR member on board. After landing, the crew prepared to transport the patient to Montrose Regional Hospital.
The San Miguel County SAR ground team was first on scene and found the man on his feet and walking around. He then told rescuers that he was BASE jumping off a cliff when his parachute failed to deploy, and he sustained his injury when he fell 150 to 200 feet to the ground. The man, who is actually a member of a SAR team in another region, said he was an experienced BASE jumper and was alone when the incident occurred.
Despite the recommendations of rescuers, the man declined helicopter transport and stated that he no longer wanted Search and Rescue assistance. He then descended on foot under the observation of San Juan County SAR personnel with a friend who had hiked up to meet him following the incident. The San Miguel County SAR team endured a prolonged egress back to Bridal Veil Falls and was safely out of the field just before 10:00pm. The mission was officially closed at 11:30pm.
The man has previously required extensive Search and Rescue resources and assistance. According to published media reports, he was injured during a BASE jumping accident in the Swiss Alps about 10 years ago and was stranded for 13 hours during a rescue involving nearly two dozen rescuers and three helicopters. Those reports stated that his $161 insurance policy covered the approximately $175,000 cost of his air evacuation.
“Our SAR team consists of skilled professionals who risk their own lives to help others in need. This individual chose to participate in an extremely dangerous activity alone, and particularly given his prior rescue history, his actions demonstrated a disregard for the risks involved and the resources required to rescue him. His decisions unnecessarily diverted emergency resources, including a Care Flight helicopter, that may have been needed for other emergencies. The fact that he was able to hike back down shows a profound lack of respect for the tremendous effort and resources devoted to this rescue.” -Sheriff Dan Covault
Approximately 20 Search and Rescue personnel and deputies, including members of San Juan County Search and Rescue, participated in the mission. Sheriff Covault wishes to thank the deputies and San Miguel County and San Juan County SAR personnel and volunteers who dropped everything to help this man requesting assistance.
“I share your frustration with the outcome of this mission and with the time and effort dedicated to one individual who, as a SAR member himself, should have known better.” -Sheriff Dan Covault
