Person with medical emergency rescued from Macey Lakes

CUSTER COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) - Search and rescue crews say an early morning operation had a happy ending thanks in part to how prepared the patient was when they went into the backcountry.

Custer County Search and Rescue was dispatched to Macey Lakes early Wednesday on reports of a person suffering a medical emergency. The lakes are located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains west of Crestone.

“The party was carrying a Garmin inReach, which allowed them to have direct communication with [search and rescue] operations,” Custer County SAR said. “They were able to provide their exact location and could communicate critical medical information.”

Ground and ATV teams began their trek to the patient at 4:30 a.m., reaching the lakes at 7 a.m.

“A ground team ... performed a medical assessment. Flight For Life Colorado launched from Pueblo and was able to land at the lake. They were then able to transport the subject from the lake for further medical care,” Custer County SAR said.

Search and Rescue’s advice for other Coloradans heading into the backcountry: always carry a personal locator beacon so that crews can find you no matter how off the beaten path you are.

“It can greatly influence the success of a mission,” Custer County SAR said.

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