A hiker who injured his leg Tuesday near Vallecito Lake required emergency rescue, Upper Pine River Fire Protection Chief Bruce Evans said.

Around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, a call came into dispatch that an 80-year-old man injured his leg and was unable to hike out of the area. The man was, however, able to walk to a place that had cellphone service to call 911.

About eight crew members with the fire protection district responded to the call and made contact with the man about 2 miles up the ridge on the northeast side of Vallecito Lake.

The patient was placed in a Stokes litter and taken out of the area and to Mercy Regional Medical Center with minor injuries. The mission ended around 6:30 p.m.

“It was just a little mishap with his leg that resulted in a minor injury, but prevented him from walking down the side of the ridgeline,” Evans said.

Evans said the man is a local resident and walks the ridgeline as a daily routine with his dog.

“This was his normal routine,” Evans said. “He’s a super fit guy and goes out there and hikes that section pretty much every day.”

Evans said calls to the fire district have declined dramatically since stay-at-home orders have been in place amid the coronavirus outbreak, so emergency resources were not taxed to respond to the rescue.

All crew members are outfitted with protective equipment, such as masks and gloves, to prevent the spread of the virus.

jromeo@durangoherald.com