Vehicle rolls 130+ feet down at Montezuma Basin, prompting rescue

A vehicle that rolled over 130 feet down into a river basin at Montezuma Basin, led to Mountain Rescue Aspen responding after receiving a report that one person was injured in the crash.

According to Mountain Rescue Aspen, on July 4 at approximately 2:45 p.m., crews responded to a report of an Apple Crash Alert in the area of Montezuma Basin Road.

Officials with Mountain Rescue Aspen say that Montezuma Basin is a rugged area of Pitkin County about five miles southeast of Aspen and is accessible only by high clearance four-wheel drive vehicles. So, Aspen Fire Protection District responded to the area with specialized equipment to navigate the hard to reach area.

Shortly after, Mountain Rescue Aspen began to mobilize a coordinated rescue by assembling equipment and teams at the CB Cameron Rescue Center. A device was able to confirm to the crews that there was a vehicle rolled over with one person injured.

Emergency responders arrived to the scene and found the vehicle, which was a Jeep, with one person inside. Responders say the vehicle had rolled approximately 130 feet down into the river basin and determined that a helicopter would be needed for the rescue due to the person's condition.

The person was able to be stabilized by Aspen Fire EMT's, Aspen Ambulance Paramedics, and Mountain Rescue Aspen Volunteers, while Care Flight of the Rockies sent a crew to the area for an aircraft rescue.

Due to the mountainous terrain, the flight crew was unable to land and a Blackhawk helicopter from the Colorado Army National Guard's High Altitude Aviation Training Site team was called in to successfully retrieve the person.

The person was then transported to the Pitkin County Airport where they were met by an ambulance and then they were taken to Aspen Valley Hospital to receive further evaluation and treatment.