A hiker was injured Saturday after falling 30 feet at Bridal Veil Falls in Telluride while trying to rescue a friend’s puppy that had also fallen.
Blue, a 3-month-old puppy, lost her footing just before the Bridal Veil gate and tumbled 15 feet into a narrow chute, according to a report by the San Miguel Sheriff’s Office.
While trying to rescue the puppy, a 25-year-old woman hiker from Denver fell 30 feet and crashed into a man who was positioned below to catch the dog in case it fell.
“The man waiting below was able to break her fall, and they both slid another 20 feet on the vertical scree field,” according to the report. Both hikers suffered injuries.
Telluride dispatch received a call for help at 11:30 a.m., and search and rescue teams arrived soon after. They set up and performed a technical rope and litter rescue for the injured woman.
She was taken to Telluride Regional Medical Center, then by ambulance to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Grand Junction. She suffered traumatic injuries, considered non-life-threatening.
The man who broke her fall was treated and released for minor injuries.
After extracting the injured woman, rescuers set up another high-angle technical-rope rescue to bring down the frightened puppy.
A rescuer reached Blue on ropes, secured her into a harness and took her down the rock face to reunite her with her owner. Blue was uninjured.
San Miguel County Search and Rescue and Telluride Fire Protection District EMS responded to the incident.
jmimiaga@the-journal.com
