NEED TO KNOW

• A hiker fell approximately 200 feet while climbing a mountain in Colorado on Nov. 15, resulting in an 11-hour rescue in the dark

• There was a danger of rockfall throughout the steep descent, officials said

• The man was later transported to the hospital for further medical evaluation after his group was safely rescued

A hiker fell 200 feet while ascending a mountain in Colorado and was saved by the ingenuity of his fellow hikers and first responders.

Following the 11-hour rescue in the dark, a member of the response team admitted that the terrain was “terrifying” even for them, according to a report.

On Saturday, Nov. 15, three people were hiking on North Sheep Mountain, a 12,427-foot peak in Chaffee County, when one person slipped on the sharp terrain and fell about 200 feet through unstable rock, Chaffee County Search and Rescue North (CCSAR-N) said in a news release.

The hiker sustained multiple injuries to the head, back and limbs and came to a stop in a head-down position on a steep slope, according to officials. Following the fall, one of the hikers used his belt to improvise an anchor to secure the injured man, according to Outside.

“He tied his friend to a fallen tree to keep him from falling further down the mountain,” Shane Bumgartner, a member of CCSAR-N told the outlet. “Our SAR team has done ad-hoc things like this in the backcountry. But it’s not too often that you see other people do it.”

At the time of the accident, the hikers had climbed about 10,000 feet on the mountain that has no trail and requires scrambling up slopes that can approach 45 degrees, according to the magazine. North Sheep Mountain is not often climbed, even by locals.

Just after sunset, at 5:36 p.m. local time, the rescue team was asked to respond to a 911 call from the group of hikers, who were able to share their position, according to the news release.

A helicopter rescue was ruled out because of the near-freezing temperatures, the lack of sunlight and the steep terrain that would make extraction difficult. Instead, team members climbed to the unidentified hiker. When they arrived, they gave out helmets, other safety gear and supplies to keep the hikers warm and secured the patient. The injured man was moved out of the gully to a safer location and placed on a litter, officials said.

For the next six hours, crew members “performed multiple multi-pitch technical lowers totaling roughly 1,600 feet through Class 3 and Class 4 terrain.” Meanwhile, another rescuer helped the two other hikers to safety by short-rope, helping them take one careful step at a time. Throughout the hours-long operation, there was constant danger of rockfall, officials said. Rocks would come loose from the rescuers and hikers above, endangering the group below, according to Outside.

“There was rock falling all night long from the team trying to get him down,” Bumgartner told the outlet. “Huge rocks flying all around us — people would scream ‘rock!’ and in the dark you’d hear these boulders slam into trees next to us.”

When everyone was on the Colorado Trail, the rescue team added a wheel to the litter. They brought the hurt hiker to the trailhead, where he was then transported by EMS for further medical care. By 4:41 a.m., everyone was out of the field, according to the organization.

CCSAR-N and the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for information about the man’s current medical status.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The rescue team credited the three hikers for having essentials that improved their chances of a safe rescue. They noted that as beautiful as Colorado’s mountains are, they’re also “unforgiving,” officials said.

When speaking with Outside, Bumgartner also emphasized the danger of the mission.

“It was an intimidating environment to operate in,” he told the magazine. “It was terrifying for us.”

Read the original article on People