NEWS
Lost hiker rescued outside Santa Fe with help of drone
Woman and dog were trapped in deep snow, a drone and ski patroller teamed up to find them
Published
After a woman and her dog wandered off trail and got lost in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, a drone and a ski patroller teamed up to bring her to safety Tuesday evening.
The 62-year-old Tesuque resident stepped off trail near the top of Aspen Vista Road with her dog, Munk, Tuesday afternoon, according to a city of Santa Fe news release.
Off trail, the pair encountered deep snow and got trapped. Without snowshoes or skis to maneuver her way out, the woman called for help around 3:30 p.m.
The hiker was close to to the summit of Ski Santa Fe, where temperatures were 16 degrees with wind chill, according to a past weather forecast.
After receiving the call, the Santa Fe Fire Department launched its new drone and tracked her using cellphone data. This rescue mission marked the drone's first use, after months of training.
While the drone darted through the sky, Ski Santa Fe's ski patrol set out to find the lost hiker, also using her cellphone location.
Ski patroller Jack Dant ultimately found the woman and dog and brought them to safety. Both the woman and dog were uninjured and returned to the trailhead by 6 p.m.
"Very thankful this one turned out well," Dant said in a comment on a social media post about the rescue. "These rescues can be very difficult and extended, putting many people at risk."
Dant thanked other agencies involved in the rescue, including New Mexico Search and Rescue, Santa Fe Fire Department and Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, saying all four worked together for a successful rescue.
Dant could not be immediately reached Thursday.
Moreover, the rescue mission also proved the effectiveness of the fire department's new fleet of drones, five of which were purchased last year using a $60,000 grant, said city of Santa Fe spokesperson Peter Olson.
This mission demonstrated to firefighters how new tech can accelerate rescues, especially in difficult terrain and temperatures where rapid response is critical.
"Sometimes we get this new technology and it just ends up sitting in the back of someone's truck unused," said SFFD paramedic Ryan Floersheim. "But this time, we're like, 'Holy shit, this actually works.'"
Gillian Barkhurst is the local government reporter for the Journal. She can be reached at gbarkhurst@abqjournal.com.
