60-Year-Old Canadian Man Trapped On Icy Mountain Ledge For 7 Hours Rescued

A 60-year-old Canadian man was rescued after spending nearly seven hours stranded on a narrow, icy ledge in the Adirondack Mountains in New York. The man, identified as hiker Eric Le Bourhis, became trapped on Mount Colden's Trap Dike after his crampons slipped off the mountain while he was preparing to wear them, according to PEOPLE.

According to a press release by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), rangers received a satellite beacon alert on October 21. The alert came from the upper north side of the slide on Mount Colden.

When rangers reached the location, they found Le Bourhis standing on a narrow ledge, around seven feet from the forested edge. The ledge measured just one foot by three feet and had become covered in ice.

Le Bourhis explained that his biggest mistake was waiting too long to put on his crampons. These are metal frames with teeth that are attached to footwear to help people walk on ice and hard snow.

While trying to put them on at an inclined icy spot, his crampons slipped out of their bag and fell off the edge.

As a result, the man remained on the narrow ledge for seven hours. He was trying to avoid falling and was also unsure whether his emergency beacon had worked.

In a video shared by the NYSDEC, Le Bourhis explained that standing on an inclined surface for such a long time made him tired. He began feeling unsteady and developed muscle cramps.

He also said that the ledge was too narrow for him to sit down, leaving him with no option but to remain standing.

How Did Rangers Rescue The Hiker

Rescuers reached Le Bourhis nearly seven hours after he became trapped. Ranger Nathan Jeffery described the operation as a tense moment because the location was extremely difficult to reach.

The rescue team quickly realised that they would need ropes to reach the hiker. They also had limited time to bring him to safety after he had spent several hours on the ledge.

The rangers used belay ropes to reach him. Ranger Jenna Curcio later explained that securing the hiker was one of the most difficult parts of the operation.

She said she feared that both of them could fall if they slipped before she could attach him securely to her safety rope.

After securing Le Bourhis, the team began moving towards the summit and the trail through thick vegetation and difficult terrain.

Jeffery said the journey involved passing through some of the thickest trees and hardest terrain he had ever encountered. Several uniforms were also torn during the rescue.

The rangers eventually reached the Marcy Dam Outpost, where two more rangers were waiting with all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). They used the vehicles to transport the group from the trailhead.

Following the incident, the NYSDEC warned hikers that the Trap Dike on Mount Colden was extremely dangerous because of thin layers of ice.

The department explained that the mountain was no longer experiencing summer conditions but had not frozen enough for winter climbing either.

It advised hikers not to attempt the climb during these conditions.