Local hiker Jennifer Hearn was found alive on Tuesday afternoon, two days after she was reported missing. She is now receiving medical care, according to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office.
The 75-year-old went for a hike on the Triangle Peak trail in Snowmass Canyon on Sunday but did not return as planned. The hiking route to the peak is in steep, rocky terrain that sees little foot traffic.
Mountain Rescue Aspen volunteers began their search on Sunday night, then continued with support from air resources and a search and rescue dog from partner agencies on Monday, a press release states. On Tuesday, they resumed their efforts with a focus on the scree fields and thick brush from search paths the previous day.
Crews located Hearn’s Irish Setter dog, Tawny, at a residence near Triangle Peak around 9:30 a.m., and narrowed their search further to the steep, rock-covered hillsides that overlook Woody Creek. They located Hearn at approximately 3:15 p.m. in the scree fields that cover the slopes near Triangle Peak.
Dozens of Mountain Rescue Aspen volunteers participated in the search, with support from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, Search and Rescue Dogs of the United States, Flight for Life and Care Flight of the Rockies. The sheriff’s office also thanked members of the public for their support in the search and rescue process.
The sheriff’s office has requested that members of the public give Hearn’s “friends and family the space that they need at this time to recover and care for Jennifer.”
