Climber survives 50-foot fall in Colorado

BOULDER, Colo., July 14 (UPI) -- A 64-year-old Colorado man survived a 50-foot fall high on Kit Carson Peak with some help from fellow climbers and the National Guard.

Roy Knoedler of Boulder was climbing alone above 12,500 feet July 7 when he fell, sliding about 50 feet until a rock broke his fall, The Denver Post reported Tuesday. A group below heard him calling for help and two climbers came to his rescue.

Craig Reynolds, 52, and Jesse Houghtalen, 25, both from Terre Haute, Ind., found Knoedler battered and bleeding. Reynolds, a former emergency medical technician, bandaged his head.

The rescuers used a cell phone to call for an emergency airlift, but two helicopters flew by without finding a place to land.

"After seeing that second helicopter fly away, Roy began to despair, but we said, we have to deal with this," Reynolds said.

Fortunately, Knoedler, an experienced climber, had brought extra clothes and emergency blankets. Reynolds and Houghtalen were able to keep him warm until a National Guard Chinook helicopter picked him up after midnight.

Knoedler had a broken arm, skull fracture and several broken bones in his face. He was released from a hospital Sunday.

"I'm actually feeling pretty good, surprisingly," he said.