22-year-old climber plunges 100 feet down summit and can’t move, Colorado officials say

A 22-year-old climber slipped and fell 100 feet while in Colorado, officials said.

At 6:30 p.m., on July 10, Boulder County Communications officers got reports of a person who had fallen while free solo climbing on the First Flatiron, a 7,300-foot peak near Boulder, according to a news release by the sheriff’s office.

The Boulder resident slipped, fell and landed on a ledge of the mountain, officials said. They couldn’t move after the fall.

Their climbing buddy was able to “get to the top of the route and call 911,” officials said.

Other climbers in the area made their way to the injured person and provided “aid while waiting for rescuers to arrive,” according to the release.

Personnel with Rocky Mountain Rescue Group “rappelled down to the injured climber” before placing them into a body splint so they could be lowered to the mountain’s base, officials said.

They were evaluated and taken to a local hospital, according to the release.

The release did not specify on their current condition or identify the climber.

Free soloing is a form of climbing where the person doesn’t use any ropes, harnesses or protective equipment to go up the cliff.

“This is the real deal, one of the most dangerous and extreme sports there is,” climbing website Expert Climbers said.

Boulder County is 60 miles northwest of Denver.

This story was originally published July 11, 2023 at 10:44 AM with the headline "22-year-old climber plunges 100 feet down summit and can’t move, Colorado officials say."