Boulder Teens Rescued Near Mitchell Lake

BOULDER COUNTY, CO - Rocky Mountain Rescue workers found two missing teenagers early Monday morning, their tent shredded by wind and filled with snow, their shoes and provisions frozen. After an 18 hour rescue mission, the pair are now back with their families, only suffering from frostbite according to a press release from the Boulder County Sheriff's office.

The 16 and 18 year old cousins left Saturday evening for one night of winter camping, but when their parents had not heard from them by Sunday evening they contacted the sheriff's office. Temperatures on Saturday night dipped below 20 degrees and nearly a foot of snow fell on the area.

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Rescue personnel began by searching mountain trailheads in the area looking for the teens' car. It wasn't until 1:00 a.m. Monday that an emergency services coordinator found the car in the parking lot of the Mitchell Lake Trailhead, located in the Brainard Lake Recreational Area near Ward. Rescue personnel were then summoned to the area and a search began at around 3 a.m.

At 6:30 a.m., a rescue team was able to establish voice contact with the teens, and found them ten minutes later. A second team from Rocky Mountain Rescue hiked in with dry clothes and boots, and the boys were able to hike back to the trailhead on their own power, where their parents were waiting.

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