Ice climber dies near Telluride

By Staff
Monday, January 16, 2012

An ice climber was killed Sunday afternoon after falling 60 feet at Bridal Veil Ice Falls east of Telluride in San Miguel County, according to the San Miguel County Sheriff Bill Masters.
The climber initially suffered a broken hip and was assisted by two hikers in the area. Search and Rescue teams began a difficult extradition from the lower section of the falls. The victim went into cardiac arrest during the rescue. A Sheriff’s office paramedic tried to save the man’s life with an AED device, CPR and drugs. After 40 minutes, the victim was pronounced dead on the scene.
It took rescuers several hours to recover the man’s body. Assisting the Sheriffs Office with the rescue were Telluride Ambulance Service personnel and the Idarado Mining Company.
The victim’s identity has not been released pending notification of his family.