La Plata County Search and Rescue responded Thursday to Mount Eolus in the Weminuche Wilderness where a 19-year-old man fell and suffered a dislocated shoulder.

The man was about 20 feet from the summit of Mount Eolus when the accident happened, said Butch Knowlton, director of Search and Rescue.

The man apparently needed his upper body to climb down. He was unable to walk and in a great deal of pain, according to scanner traffic. His friends were assisting him to a location where a helicopter could lift him to safety.

Search and Rescue was notified about 9:15 a.m., they made contact with the patient about 1:15 p.m., and he arrived at Mercy Regional Medical Center about 4:20 p.m.

Flight for Life circled the area to burn off extra fuel before boarding the man, which helps lighten the weight of the helicopter.

Eolus is a 14,090-foot-tall mountain peak, one of three fourteeners accessed by the upper Chicago Basin northeast of Durango. The man was rescued near Twin Lakes.

Storm clouds were building over the La Plata Mountains on Thursday, which delayed rescue efforts.

shane@durangoherald.com