An off-highway vehicle overturned on a steep and narrow backcountry road in Cunningham Gulch north of Silverton Monday, spilling its four passengers as it rolled 77 feet down an embankment.
The unidentified passengers in the vehicle, three males and one female, were in critical condition with life-threatening injuries and required air evacuation in separate helicopters.
The four adults were from out of state, according to San Juan County officials investigating the incident.
Other members in the group used a satellite communication device to contact rescuers at 1:08 p.m. Monday afternoon. The OHV had rolled down a steep slope below a spur off County Road 3, near Stony Pass.
The passengers of the side-by-side were not wearing seat belts or any protective equipment, such as helmets.
“Absolutely no safety gear was used,” said San Juan County Spokeswoman DeAnne Gallegos.
First responders with Silverton Medical Rescue and Silverton San Juan County Volunteer Fire Department met uninjured members of the party within an hour of receiving the call and traveled to the site of the accident. The four injured passengers required separate helicopters – one with Durango Flight for Life, one from Montrose and two from Classic Air Medical of unknown origin.
The four people were flown to several different hospitals on the Western Slope because they could not all receive the care they needed at a single location. The exact hospitals to which the patients were flown and their updated conditions are unknown.
“This accident is a good example of why these vehicles, while used for recreational purposes, can be lethal,” said San Juan County Undersheriff Steve Lowrance in a news release. “We strongly encourage the use of common and recommended safety equipment like seat belts, helmets, eye protection and is why we recommend proper caution while operating these vehicles in general.”
The exact cause of the accident is under investigation by the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office.
Rescuers credit the use of a GPS ‘SOS device’ with saving lives.
“We have one of the best EMS/SAR teams in the state, but we can only respond if we know where to go,” said Director of Silverton Medical Rescue Tyler George in the release. “There are a lot of lessons to be learned from an accident like this, but the ability to activate EMS from a GPS is the most important take-away and, in my opinion, saved lives.”
Gallegos said that the Silverton area has seen continual growth of its tourism industry, including recreational off-roading. The town’s chamber of commerce is looking to partner with the state tourism office to spread more information about how to safely recreate in the area.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
