A Cortez man was rescued Saturday after he crashed an ultralight plane on Ute Mountain.
Lonn Andrews, 75, suffered a broken leg, sternum and back after crashing on the northern peak of the mountain about 7 a.m.
"He caught a downdraft and could not pull out of it," said his wife, Karen Andrews, the recently retired finance officer of Dolores Schools. "We're relieved he is alive and not paralyzed. He's very lucky."
The Ute Mountain Fire Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs, United Search and Rescue, Cortez Fire Protection District, Southwest Memorial Hospital, and TriState CareFlight of Durango responded.
CareFlight could not put down safely at the crash site, so rescuers hiked for hours to reach Andrews, traveling through steep, forested terrain.
Ute Mountain Fire Chief John Trocheck said that after stabilizing Andrews, rescue crews carried him on a stretcher up the mountain to an ATV. Fire crews then used chain saws to clear a path to a road, where an ambulance transported him to the CareFlight helicopter that had landed in a clearing.
"It was a difficult rescue, but all the organizations worked together to make it successful," Trocheck said.
Andrews was transported Mercy Medical Center and was released. Karen Andrews said he is expected to make a full recovery and will undergo months of rehabilitation in Cortez.
"His wife has grounded him," said Karen Andrews. "My heart goes out to the rescue crews who worked so hard to reach him. I want to thank them for their excellent service."
Lonn Andrews used his cellphone to call 911 and report the crash to his ground crew and wife. A friend with a plane flew over the crash site and relayed its coordinates to rescue workers. Karen Andrews said her husband was in and out of consciousness throughout the nine-hour rescue effort. The wreckage remains on the mountain.
jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com
