A Mountain Rescue Aspen helicopter team rescued a stranded climber from Capitol Peak on Wednesday.
Joseph Seeds Jr. of Denver was descending when he got off route near the K2 area of the climb. That’s northwest of the summit. He was on unstable terrain and unable to get back on route, but he was able to text a friend for help. When a two-person team from Mountain Rescue arrived, Seeds was reportedly thirsty and tired, but uninjured. He was flown off the mountain in a National Guard Black Hawk helicopter.
Capitol Peak has claimed five lives so far this summer.