Woman dies on hiking trip

Initial medical helicopter unable to land in Colorado backcountry

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, COLO. » A young Collegeville woman died on a hiking trip in Colorado, authorities have confirmed.

The woman, identified as 20-year-old Susanna Deforest, got sick Thursday while hiking with three friends to Conundrum Hot Springs, according to Pitkin County Sheriff’s Deputy Anthony Todaro.

She died sometime overnight into the predawn hours Friday while awaiting for a medical helicopter to land, according to published reports.

Deforest had just completed her sophomore year studying graphic design at the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design in Collegeville; she was named to the dean’s list during the spring 2017 semester.

The school said in a statement it was “heartbroken” over the news of Deforest’s death. Deforest was a student last year, but had opted not to take classes again this fall.

Deforest and three friends left a bit late in the afternoon Thursday on their hike, but had the proper gear, water and food and were prepared to spend the night at the hot springs and hike out the next day, according to an article in the Post Independent newspaper in Glenwood Springs, Colo.

After they set up a tent, Deforest began vomiting. Two of the hikers went for help and a third remained with Deforest in the backcountry. The two women left the other two at about 8:30 p.m. and were able to notify emergency dispatchers about 10:45 p.m., ac-

cording to Todaro and a sheriff’s office statement, the Post Independent reports.

Backcountry rescues typically are not initiated at night, unless there is clear information about a person’s medical condition and location. In this case, the location was known and the medical information made clear that help was needed. A team from the all-volunteer Mountain Rescue Aspen organization, which performs search and rescue missions for the sheriff’s office, set out on foot and also in the air with two helicopter services — CareFlight and Flight for Life — that were engaged, according to the Aspen Daily News.

The first helicopter deployed to the scene was unable to land, Todaro said, possibly because of weather conditions. The second helicopter landed successfully in the predawn hours. Team members found that the woman had died over the course of the night.

Deputy Coroner Eric Hansen said the cause of death likely won’t be known until an autopsy is performed.

It was unclear what time the aborted helicopter landing occurred or the exact reasons for it. Todaro also did not know if Deforest was alive at that point or not, the Post Independent reports. She had no previous medical issues and there was no sign of drug or alcohol abuse, according to authorities.

Conundrum Creek Trail to Conundrum Hot Springs is a 16.9-mile hike. It takes about five to eight hours to hike in and three to six hours to hike out, according to alltrails.com.