A hunter was rescued after becoming lost and hypothermic on the western slope on the Continental Divide in the Gunnison National Forest on Sept. 19.

According to a Facebook post, Saguache County Search and Rescue received the report of a hunter who was lost, hypothermic, and soaked through from thunderstorms and snow showers in the Gunnison National Forest. The hunter reported that he could not walk and was wrapping himself in an emergency blanket and plastic tarp to stay warm.

Search and rescue teams responded with three vehicles and eight personnel including emergency medical technicians, medical first responders, and technical rescue personnel. Fortunately, the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch got the hunter’s GPW coordinates before his cell phone battery reached 0 percent. Rescue teams found the hunter 300 yards from an accessible road in a very remote part of Saguache County. Saguache SAR rescues said two team members had to drive 98 miles one-way to reach the scene.

The hunter had used a mylar rescue blanket and tarp to create an improvised sleeping bag and used his cloth game bags as insulation. He had also changed into extra dry clothes from his backpack, removing his wet clothing.

Rescue teams used chemical heat packs to re-warm the hunter, and also provided him with hydration, nutrition, electrolyte replacement and dry wool socks. Once the subject had sufficiently recovered, rescuers assisted him in walking to the roadway. Then they drove him back to his vehicle. Saguache SAR said that hiking conditions were challenging in freezing temperatures with a thin coating of ice on all surfaces.

Saguache SAR thanked the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch, Saguache County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch, and its volunteers for completing the mission in less than seven hours.

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