A hiker has been rescued from mountain ranges after he was left behind by more than a dozen of his co-workers during a retreat in the US.
Authorities received the call for help from Mount Shavano in Colorado about 9pm on Friday last week.
Chaffee County Search and Rescue said 15 people on an office work retreat had left the Blanks Cabin Trailhead at sunrise that same morning.
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“In what might cause some awkward encounters at the office in the coming days and weeks, one member of their party was left to complete his final summit push alone,” Chaffee County Search and Rescue said in a statement.
The man left behind soon became lost when trying to complete the hike alone.
”Concerned for himself, he sent a pindrop to co-workers already descending,” Chaffee County Search and Rescue said.
“These co-workers informed him his route was wrong and to climb back up the slope to regain the trail.”
Later that afternoon, he sent another text to his group that he was near the trail but disaster struck again, with a strong storm passing through the area.
He became disorientated and lost phone signal as freezing rain and high winds lashed.
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When authorities finally received a call for help about 9pm, multiple teams and a drone pilot began the desperate, large-scale search to find him.
Crews worked into the next day and when the man was able to regain phone service, he contacted 911 and was successfully found in a gully below Espirit Point.
“He reported being very disoriented on his descent, and falling at least 20 times on the steep slopes below Espirit point toward the North Fork,” Chaffee County Search and Rescue said
“After the last fall he was unable to get back up, but very luckily regained enough cell service to make his call.
“This hiker was phenomenally lucky to have regained cell service when he did, and to still have enough consciousness and wherewithal to call 911.”
The man was taken to hospital for care.
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