San Miguel County Search and Rescue assisted two injured hikers Saturday afternoon.
Rescuers first responded to the Poverty Gulch area for a 28-year-old Cortez woman who injured her leg in a fall, according to a post on the San Miguel Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
The woman was injured after taking a wrong turn while hiking with a companion on the Hope Lake Trail east of Lizard Head Pass. She could not bear weight and required extrication.
The San Miguel Sheriff’s Office used its helicopter to lower search and rescue personnel to the area. The woman was carried in a litter to the helicopter. She and her companion were brought safely back to their vehicle and were seeking medical care on their own.
During the mission, rescuers launched a second rescue for a 49-year-old woman who injured her leg in the Bridal Veil Falls area in Telluride.
After the Sheriff’s Office helicopter finished the first mission, its crew helped to locate the woman, who was assisted by deputies and the Telluride Fire Protection District.