Hiker rescued after 30-foot fall into rocky Ice Caves, Colorado officials say

A man hiking the Ice Caves near Aspen, Colorado, was rescued after falling 30 feet into the rocks and water below, officials said.

On Saturday morning, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office got a report that someone fell into the Ice Caves, according to a department news release. The hiker was a 24-year-old man who fell about 30 feet from the top of the Grottos, located eight miles from Aspen.

An off-duty surgeon who was in Colorado on vacation and another bystander were helping the man when authorities arrived, police said. According to the department, the man was hiking with friends and family when he fell. He was too hurt to walk, injured in his right leg and had “internal” injuries.

Mountain Rescue and Aspen Fire used ropes and a “litter basket” to help carry the man back onto the trail, according to police. He was then taken to Aspen Valley Hospital for treatment.

“The Sheriff’s Office would also like to remind the public to exercise caution when hiking in the area of the Grottos as the surface rock can be slippery and unstable,” Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office officials said in the statement.

The Grottos is a 0.6-mile trail near Aspen that is used for nature trips and hiking, according to trail website Alltrails. It has an elevation of 29 feet and is a loop trail.