By Brooke Baitinger
The Charlotte Observer
LA PLATA COUNTY, Colo. 鈥� An ATV driver plunged 鈥渋nto the abyss鈥� after going over a dark, cold and snowy cliff, Colorado rescuers said.
The driver鈥檚 in the fall, La Plata County Search and Rescue said in a Nov. 19 Facebook post.
Dramatic photos show the 鈥渘ear white out conditions鈥� on the dark cliffside Saturday, Nov. 18 , as La Plata County Search and Rescue team members navigated over the cliff to help the driver, who was trapped on a ledge in La Plata Canyon , rescuers said.
The canyon is near Durango in southwestern Colorado , about 200 miles southwest of Colorado Springs .
A team trained in technical rope rescue used a two-rope system to lower team members and supplies to secure the driver to a stretcher and haul them 200 feet back up the cliff, rescuers said.
鈥淭he weather was not of much help as it was dark, cold and snow was blowing so badly, it was near white out conditions,鈥� rescuers said.
Once the team got the ATV driver back up from the ledge, they were taken to a hospital in an ambulance, rescuers said.
The call came in about 4:30 p.m. , and the rescue mission was over at midnight, rescuers said.
鈥泪迟 ,鈥� Mission Commander Ron Corkish told CBS News Colorado. 鈥淲e had the right people and the right equipment. Conditions could鈥檝e been better but they certainly could鈥檝e been worse.鈥�
Between six to nine inches of snow fell on the mountainside that night, the station reported.
鈥淚f that fella was up there today, it鈥檇 be a whole different story,鈥� Corkish told the station.
鈥�
漏2023 The Charlotte Observer.
Visit .
Distributed by