Las Animas County Hiker Found Safe Near Fishers Peak; CPW Thanks Responders

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said a missing hiker was located safe today near Fishers Peak State Park in Las Animas County, Colorado, and the agency publicly thanked multiple first responders for their assistance. CPW named Las Animas County Emergency Management, the Las Animas County Sheriff's Department, Fishers Peak Fire Protection District and Hoehne Fire Protection District in its acknowledgement.

CPW provided no additional details about the Fishers Peak incident. The agency did not release a time when the hiker was located, nor did it provide a name, age, sex, description, condition or whether the person required medical treatment or transport following the incident.

A separate search in Clear Creek County ended in a similar outcome Monday evening when a mother and son who failed to return as planned Sunday evening turned up safe at Evans Ranch on Upper Bear Creek Road. The Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office announced around 6:30 p.m. Monday that "dozens" of searchers with canines and drones were searching Echo Lake Park, and the sheriff's office reported the pair "showed up" at Evans Ranch shortly after 7 p.m.

The Clear Creek County update included two posted messages from the sheriff's office celebrating the outcome: "Your positive thoughts paid off! The two missing hikers were located safe at Evans Ranch," and "We appreciate ALL the search & rescue personnel, canines, public safety agencies, and specialized equipment deployed for this search. We are grateful for the happy ending!" Officials described the hikers as a 60-year-old mother weighing 130 pounds, likely wearing a purple ski coat, and a 25-year-old son weighing 220 pounds, likely wearing a brown jacket with a white collar.

Multiple agencies joined the Clear Creek response. Named participants included Clear Creek County Search and Rescue members, the Alpine Rescue Team, Douglas County Search and Rescue, Front Range Rescue Dogs, Denver Parks and Recreation, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Clear Creek Fire Authority. Douglas County Search and Rescue reported that its drone team had barely gotten started searching on Mt. Blue Sky before "falling snow became so heavy that flying wasn't possible," a weather impact officials cited during the operation.

These were two distinct incidents in different counties: the Fishers Peak case in Las Animas County and the Echo Lake Park / Mt. Blue Sky search in Clear Creek County. Both ended with people located safe according to the statements released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office, but officials in both cases left key details unreported, including identities and medical status. Agencies thanked responding units and volunteers; further specifics have not been released by CPW or the Las Animas County agencies named in the CPW acknowledgement.