A 38-year-old hiker who fell near Diamond Lake west of Nederland was rescued after more than eight hours of coordinated operations involving multiple agencies, according to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. The initial report came in at approximately 4:18 p.m. on October 31, 2026.
The hiker sustained a fall that resulted in suspected fractures to his lower extremities. He was conscious and able to communicate with dispatchers, who assisted in determining his location in the remote, steep terrain. Because of the challenging geography, rescue teams determined that helicopter extraction would be the safest method of evacuation.
During an initial rescue attempt, a Colorado National Guard helicopter experienced an incident that required a precautionary landing near the Fourth of July Trailhead at Buckingham Park. While crews conducted aircraft recovery operations, the area was closed to the public.
A Colorado National Guard Lakota helicopter successfully hoisted the patient from the mountainside at approximately 12:21 a.m. on November 1. The helicopter transported him to a landing zone at Nederland High School, where he was transferred to an ambulance and transported to a hospital in Boulder for medical evaluation and treatment.
The rescue involved coordination between the Boulder County Sheriff's Office, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, Nederland Fire Protection District, Colorado Search and Rescue, the Colorado National Guard, Med Evac, and American Medical Response.