54-Year-Old Colorado Man Dies in Fall At Rocky Mountain National Park

A Colorado man has fallen to his death on Taylor Glacier in Rocky Mountain National Park. NPS photo.

A 54-year-old Colorado man has been killed in a tumbling fall on the Taylor Glacier in Rocky Mountain National Park.

A park release said one of three climbers on the glacier fell shortly before noon on Saturday. Park rangers, who were contacted by cellphone of the incident, reached the man’s body at 4:45 p.m. James Charles Patrick, 54, from Littleton, Colorado, had fallen more than 1,000 feet (updated), they said.

"The man who fell had the group’s rope, leaving the other two climbers stranded near the top of Taylor Glacier just below the ridgeline between Taylor Peak and Powell Peak," the release said. "Those two climbers were able to anchor themselves in place until help arrived. Two rangers reached the ridgeline above the climbers around 4:15 p.m. and were able to belay the two between 50 to 100 feet up to their location. The rangers provided assistance to the climbers and are hiking out with them (Saturday night)."

A helicopter relayed supplies to the rangers, who planned to stay overnight in the backcountry with the man's body.

Taylor Glacier is above Sky Pond and sits between Taylor Peak and Powell Peak. Sky Pond is approximately 5 miles from the Bear Lake Trailhead. This is the fifth falling fatality in Rocky Mountain National Park this year.