Denver office retreat forgets and leaves co-worker stranded on mountain

This will make for an awkward next staff meeting.  A Denver office went to the mountains for an office retreat and left behind one of their own.

The group of 15 co-workers left the Blanks Cabin Trailhead at sunrise Friday, but became separated.  Around 9pm on Friday, the Chaffee County Search and Rescue South was notified of an overdue hiker, wearing all black, on the Mount Shavano standard route.

According to the Chaffee County Search and Rescue South Facebook page,

When the subject summited at 11:30 and turned to descend, he became disoriented, finding belongings left in the boulder field to mark the descent by the previous group having been picked up as they hiked down.

Apparently the disoriented co-worker sent a pin drop of his location to fellow co-workers who informed him he was taking the wrong way down and to go back to the summit.

The stranded co-worker reportedly fell numerous times and was unable to get up after his final fall.  He was able to get cell service and able to call 9-1-1 which helped rescue crews locate him.

If you read the comments on the Chaffee County Search and Rescue South’s page, it’s brutal for those 15 co-workers.  Many people asking how no one from the 15 went back up to help the stranded co-worker.

The CCSRS team did post this about hiking in Colorado:

This hiker was phenomenally lucky to have regained cell service when he did, and to still have enough consciousness and wherewithal to call 911. Though he was located in a tertiary search area, it would have been some time before teams made it to that location on their own.

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Leaving coworkers stranded on mountain | Office Chat