ALAMOSA COUNTY, Colo. — A hunter from Louisiana was found deceased within the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in late October, according to the Alamosa Volunteer Search And Rescue.
On Oct. 30, a hunting party went into an area near Sand Creek, on the far northern side of the Great Sand Dunes National Preserve, where it butts up against the San Isabel National Forest. That evening, one of the hunters — identified as Lance Walker of Baton Rouge, Louisiana — did not return to camp, the Alamosa Volunteer Search And Rescue reported. By the following morning, he was still missing.
His group used a Garmin Satellite device to call for help. Multiple agencies began to respond, including Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue, Saguache County Search and Rescue, and Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve staff.
The missing hunter's brother left the camp to search for Walker. Later that day, he found Walker deceased in rough terrain. The brother contacted the search and rescue teams to let them know, Alamosa Volunteer Search And Rescue reported.
Weather conditions prevented a helicopter from flying into the field, but search and rescue teams began hiking into the brush to both confirm where Walker was found, and help his brother back to safety. Darkness was quickly approaching, so the team was not able to recover Walker's body from the technical terrain. This was planned for the following day, on Nov. 1.
Early on Nov. 1, the search and rescue teams requested a medical helicopter to bring team members into the field, and the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control's (DFPC) helitack based in Montrose to recover the body.
But high winds in Montrose prevented the latter.
Seven search and rescue team members — from Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue, Saguache County Search and Rescue, and Chaffee County Search and Rescue (South) — set out on foot toward the hunter's body. Using technical rope rescue equipment, they carried him to a location where a DFPC Flatiron helitack could transport him to the incident command post.
The seven team members then hiked back out. All of them were out of the field by 9 p.m.
Hunting is not permitted in the national park, but licensed hunters are permitted to hunt during designated legal seasons within the national preserve. Explore the map of the park and preserve more here.
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