Climber falls to death in Sandias

A 35-year-old Albuquerque man died after he fell more than 100 yards off a cliff about a mile below Sandia Crest, where he was climbing Friday afternoon.

Carlos Cox was heard screaming by hikers on La Luz trail around 2 p.m. Friday. The hikers called police, and a sheriff’s office helicopter arrived and spotted Cox lying on a snow mound.

Because the helicopter couldn’t land, search-and-rescue crews trekked in, but Cox was dead by the time they arrived, according to State Police.

Police said Cox, who was alone, fell at least 100 yards and rolled another 40 yards before coming to a rest in rocky terrain. Cox was wearing a climbing helmet and was found with ropes and rappelling gear, police said.

Search-and-rescue crews at first deliberated into the early evening whether taking Cox’s remains off the mountain would be safe or feasible for crews before sunset, but they ultimately chose to make the effort Friday evening.

They then began the arduous task of hauling the man’s body through the steep, loose terrain more than a mile toward the top of the mountain as Cox’s wife waited at the crest, police said. Police didn’t know if Cox had any children.

Since September, two other people have been injured after falls near Sandia Crest, though Cox’s fall is the only fatality.

In January, a woman was found about 300 feet below the crest, though it’s unclear how far she fell, and she was conscious and breathing by the time she was airlifted to the hospital.

And in September, a 26-year-old hiker was also airlifted with a head injury after falling more than 26 feet. He was also conscious when he was taken off the mountain.

— This article appeared on page A1 of the Albuquerque Journal