Current:Home > Stocks'Experienced climber' from New York dies after falling up to 400 feet while hiking in Colorado -ProfitQuest Academy
'Experienced climber' from New York dies after falling up to 400 feet while hiking in Colorado
View
Date:2025-04-14 20:51:36
An "experienced climber" from New York died after falling 300 to 400 feet while hiking a mountain in Colorado, authorities said.
Herbert "Hal" Wise, 53, was hiking the Rock of Ages trail in Wilson Peak, Colorado, around 15 miles southwest of Telluride and 118 miles northeast of Durango when he fell. The trail's elevation is between 10,383 to 13,400 feet and spans 3.7 miles.
Once rescuers reached Wise, they discovered he had died from his injuries, according to the sheriff's office. Authorities rescue efforts consisted of a 4-hour mission conducted with the assistance of the Colorado Highland Helicopters out Durango, the sheriff's office said.
When Wise fell, he suffered from a "pretty massive head injury," Emil Sante, the San Miguel County coroner, told USA TODAY.
20-year-old found dead:American college student went missing on South Africa's Table Mountain
"This is a very unfortunate event, and our thoughts are with his family," Susan Lilly, the San Miguel County Sheriff's Office's public information officer, told USA TODAY.
He is survived by his mom and dad, Katheryn and Herbert Wise, who are both in their 80s, said Sante.
An experienced hiker
Wise had completed multiple hikes and mountain climbs similar to this, according to Lilly.
In June, he took a leave of absence from his job at Domino's Pizza, where he worked as a delivery driver, and traveled to Colorado, where he is believed to have climbed 26 peaks, his mother, Kathryn Wise, told USA TODAY.
Wise began hiking between 2006 and 2008, he also wrote and self-published three books, including "Tales from the Desert and Beyond," about his "adventures that took [him] across America..."
He has climbed the Adirondack Mountains in northeastern New York and Mt. Hood in Portland, Oregon. He also climbed all the White Mountains in New Hampshire, the highest peaks in Texas and Arizona and several mountains in California.
How to stay safe during a hike or climb
To stay safe during a hike or mountain climb, Lilly recommends people do the following:
- Hike with another person.
- Tell someone who is not tagging along where they are going and when they expect to return.
- Make sure cell phones are fully charged.
- Carry enough food, water, equipment and clothing to last long enough in case of an emergency, like being forced to stay overnight on the trail.
"It's important to be prepared for that," said Lilly.
This story was updated to add new information.
veryGood! (56)
Related
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- Pedro Pascal, Melanie Lynskey, the Obamas among nominees at creative arts Emmy Awards
- AP Week in Pictures: Global | Dec.29-January 5, 2024
- 'I can't feel my fingers': 13-year-old Tetris winner dumfounded after beating game
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- How to watch and stream 'The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard' Lifetime special
- The Excerpt podcast: Orcas are sinking boats. What gives?
- Stanley cups have people flooding stores and buying out shops. What made them so popular?
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- FDA gives Florida green light to import drugs in bulk from Canada
Ranking
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- Brian Austin Green Got a Vasectomy After Welcoming Baby With Sharna Burgess
- How much money do college and university presidents make?
- Actor David Soul, half of 'Starsky & Hutch' duo, dies at 80
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- China calls for peaceful coexistence and promises pandas on the 45th anniversary of U.S.-China ties
- Memphis toddler killed on New Year's Eve as celebratory gunfire sends bullet into home
- Former Milwaukee officer pleads guilty to charge in connection with prisoner’s overdose death
Recommendation
Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
Trump should be barred from New York real estate industry, fined $370 million, New York Attorney General Letitia James says
Two strangers grapple with hazy 'Memory' in this unsettling film
Stanley cups have people flooding stores and buying out shops. What made them so popular?
Sam Taylor
How much money do college and university presidents make?
Nigel Lythgoe stepping aside as ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ judge after sexual assault allegations
Trump should be barred from New York real estate industry, fined $370 million, New York Attorney General Letitia James says