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Driver plunges off Red Mountain Pass hundreds of feet, yells for help before rescue

red mountain pass rescue.jpg
Posted at 9:27 PM, Feb 26, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-26 23:27:26-05

OURAY COUNTY, Colo. — A driver who plunged over a cliff on Red Mountain Pass into a river was rescued after spending hours yelling for help.

According to the Ouray County Sheriff's Office, Dack Klein, a local Colorado Department of Transportation driver, came across the debris field on Red Mountain Pass and heard the man's cries for help.

It's unclear why the driver went off the road, but he plunged over the cliff early Thursday morning. He and his vehicle were laying in the river hundreds of feet below when Klein heard him.

A Ouray firefighter, Adam Kunz, made his way down to the motorist and helped communicate between them and rescue personnel.

Once rescued, the driver was taken to Fellin Park and then transported by Care Flight to Montrose Hospital. The status of his condition was not released.