Lutheran High Student Dies In Fall Near Little Bear Peak - Denver News Story - KMGH Denver
Lutheran High Student Dies In Fall Near Little Bear Peak
Helicopter Rescue Crew Makes Hard Landing During Rescue
POSTED: 6:40 am MDT June 16, 2010
UPDATED: 8:21 am MDT June 16, 2010
DENVER -- An Army National Guard Chinook helicopter dispatched to rescue a fallen climber made a hard landing near Alamosa after one of the aircraft's rotors struck the terrain on Little Bear Peak Tuesday.
The rescue crew was headed to help rescue a stranded hiker from Highlands Ranch.
The hiker, 18-year-old Kevin Hayne, died before crews could rescue him. According to a friend's post on a climbing enthusiast message board, Hayne was hiking to the summit of Little Bear Peak when he fell.
One poster wrote, "Were hiking the hourglass just shy of the summit of Little Bear Peak. The hourglass was completely iced over and was impassible, we decided to take a ledge on the left side of the hourglass and decided to wait and see if the sun would help melt anything out."
The poster writes that after waiting, both decided to continue and that is when Hayne lost his balance and fell several feet, breaking his back.
"When I got to him he was breathing heavily and both his arms looked broken, both of our spot trackers malfunctioned at a terrible time," wrote the poster. "I waited 30 minutes by chance that the distress signal did go out, tried to comfort Kevin, and after no response from either Kevin or search and rescue, I made the hardest decision of my life and had to hike out, leaving my bruised and bloody partner behind."
Hayne's friend later writes that he went to get help. It took him about three hours to get to Alamosa and get search and rescue to help his friend.
One friend wrote, "I know he's in heaven though. RIP Kevin Andrew Haynes a technical man, a musician, a Christian, but most importantly friend. He will never be forgotten in the lives of the thousands that he touched."
The Chinook reached the site where Hayne fell, but was forced to make the hard landing after a rotor hit the terrain, said National Guard spokesman Maj. Elena O'Bryan.
Seven crewmembers based out of Buckley Air Force Base were on board the helicopter at the time. None were injured.
Three civilian emergency responders made their way to Hayne, but by the time they got to him, he had already died, O'Bryan said.
A security team stayed with the Chinook overnight. The aircrew was evacuated to Fort Carson on a Black Hawk helicopter.
O'Bryan said officials are investigating why Chinook hit the terrain. The Chinook will have to be lifted away by a larger helicopter.
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