Blackhawk Lifts Fallen Rock Climber 1300 Feet From Colorado’s Black Canyon

If you missed it last week, an incredible rescue took place here in Western Colorado at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison near Montrose.

On the Western Slope, we know the canyon as Colorado's most extreme National Park. This place features some of the steepest cliffs and deepest drop-offs in the state, and the Great White Wall is a bucket-list destination for rock climbers to test their skills.

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An Early Morning Climb at The Black Canyon

Climbing.com reports a 30-year-old Grand Junction woman named Becca was climbing alongside Skyeler Congdon up a portion of the 1300-foot wall along the North Rim of the Black Canyon. A foothold broke, and Becca fell hard to the ledge below suffering broken bones, and a punctured lung. Becca remained in a coma for some time following the fall. Thanks to heroic actions by her partner and first responders, Becca was rescued that same evening and continues to recover.

We Thank Colorado's First Responders

Accessing the North Rim of the Black Canyon means heading towards Crawford, Colorado, which is harder for first responders to reach than the more visited South Rim. Our thanks go out to the Black Canyon District Rangers, National Park Service Volunteers, and the High Altitude Aviation Training who provided the Black Hawk helicopter which lifted Becca 1300 feet out of the canyon.

Fatalities at the Black Cayon of the Gunnison National Park

With its creepy shadows and shockingly steep cliffs the Black Canyon still draws around 432,818 thrill-seekers each year who love the outdoors in Western Colorado. There have been two deaths inside the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park over the years according to Outforia.com. Both are still unexplained.

Here's to all the hard work done by so many Coloradans on September 11th to help make sure Becca got out of the canyon that day. A GoFundMe to assist with her recovery can be found here.