MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — A Fort Carson combat medic saved a man suffering a major heart attack on the summit of the Manitou Incline last month.
According to military media site DVIDS, Specialist Faraz Farooqui hiked the popular Incline trail on March 1, which was his first weekend in Colorado.
He had just arrived to Fort Carson only two days prior from his advanced training at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.
Spc. Farooqui briefly celebrated his climb on top of the Incline and sat down to take in the views and catch his breath, DVIDS said.
"I looked to my right, and a man was laying on the ground with someone standing over top of him, and it didn't look right. I had to go check on him," he said.
The soldier immediately started taking vitals, monitoring breathing, and relayed their location to Emergency Medical Services (EMS). DVIDS said he utilized the training he had just received at Fort Sam Houston.
"For me it was second nature—it just flowed. I was able to get him to the helicopter transport site nearby and with the help of other hikers I rallied to assist in saving this man's life," Spc. Farooqui said.
According to DVIDS, he then organized other summit hikers to help carry the man in distress a quarter mile up the mountain to an El Paso County Search and Rescue (SAR) jeep.
Once in the jeep, Farooqui helped SAR insert a catheter for the man while moving him to an air evacuation point on the trail.
A UCHealth Lifeline helicopter then airlifted the man to a hospital. He’s now recovering and attending rehabilitation appointments.
Farooqui is a combat medic with the 1st Battalion 38th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
“Thank God Faraz was there,” the man’s family said of the Fort Carson medic to DVIDS. “I had my full trust in his training and education as an Army Soldier. If Spc. Farooqui wasn’t there, my father-in-law would not have survived.”
The Manitou Incline, though a popular attraction for both tourists and locals, is considered a very difficult and strenuous hike.
Medical episodes have happened before on the challenging trail as the Incline gains over 2,000 feet of elevation in under one mile.
In April 2025, a 64-year-old Oregon man died on the hike despite bystanders performing CPR.
After that incident, City of Colorado Springs officials told climbers not to underestimate the Incline, “especially those traveling from out of state, to thoroughly assess their physical condition, understand the difficulty of the climb, and come properly prepared.”
Email Senior Reporter Brett Forrest at brett.forrest@koaa.com. Follow or message @brettforrestTV on X and Brett Forrest News on Facebook.
Brett can also communicate via encrypted apps like Signal. Due to the sensitive nature of ongoing reporting from federal actions, he is willing to take steps to protect identities.
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