A Bureau of Land Management employee was rescued from Yellow Jacket Canyon Thursday afternoon after he injured an ankle during a fall, according to Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin.

The man, who was not identified, contacted emergency responders after the accident within Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.

A search and rescue team descended on foot into Yellow Jacket Canyon off Road N about 2 p.m. The team reached the man about 2:30 p.m. and stabilized his ankle. He was extracted from the canyon about 4:45 p.m. and transported to Southwest Memorial Hospital.

“He is a little banged up, but otherwise OK,” Nowlin said. “It was a solid team effort – always a good day when a rescue is a success.”

The injury and rescue occurred deep in the canyon near the bottom, he said. Emergency responders were notified by cellphone or radio, and GPS technology helped locate him.

More than a dozen rescuers responded. The responding agencies included the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office, Montezuma County Search and Rescue, and BLM.

About 3:30 p.m., a command post was set up at the top of the canyon, where about a dozen vehicles parked. Personnel from the responding agencies were on hand to await the man and his rescue team’s arrival.

According to BLM ranger Tyler Fouss, the man was injured about noon Thursday.

jmimiaga@the-journal.com