A 72-year-old man was rescued Sunday morning at a remote area outside Vallecito Reservoir after he fell off his horse.

La Plata County Emergency Director Butch Knowlton said a report came in around 8 a.m. that a man fell off a horse resulting in serious injuries at a hunting camp five miles up East Creek, a tributary of Pine River.

Because of the bad weather, Knowlton said crews were forced to walk in, and emergency aircraft were unable to respond early on in the mission.

“Fortunately the clouds lifted, and we were able to land a very short distance from the hunting camp,” he said.

Around 2:30 p.m., Knowlton said the patient had landed at Mercy Regional Medical Center.

About a dozen members of Upper Pine River Fire Protection District and La Plata County Search and Rescue responded.