68-year-old climber dies on mountain: body recovered

68-year-old climber Jack “Andrew” Skipper died from fatal injuries on Maroon Peak in Colorado. Friends and former classmates remembered the deceased as a “wonderful person with a big heart.”

Skipper, who lived in Santa Fe, Tennessee, set out alone for the Rocky Mountains on August 24 and was due back in Nashville on September 2. However, search efforts began after he failed to return as scheduled and had not been heard from for several days.

On September 2, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office was notified of the missing climber. Information found in his rental car indicated that Skipper had planned to climb Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak in the Maroon Bells area.

The following day, an aerial search was launched by Mountain Rescue Aspen and CareFlight of the Rockies. Shortly after, his body was found in a steep gully known as the Y Couloir on the southeast side of Maroon Peak.

It turned out that Skipper was far from the mountain's main climbing route, in a technically complex and unstable area at an altitude of approximately 13,200 feet. Due to the high risk of rockfall in the area where the body was located, it was impossible to recover it immediately.

The U.S. Forest Service temporarily closed Maroon Peak and organized a complex rescue operation. The operation began after midnight on September 8.

At dawn, a Flight for Life helicopter transported three Mountain Rescue Aspen climber-rescuers to the ridge on the south side of the mountain. They climbed for about an hour, reached a point 1,000 feet above Skipper's body, and then descended along the Y Couloir using ropes.

A long-line helicopter required for the rescue was not available in Colorado. Therefore, the Utah Department of Public Safety’s Aero Bureau sent a specialized aircraft from Salt Lake City.

Skipper's body was recovered from the mountainside and transported to the T Lazy 7 Ranch, where representatives from the Pitkin County Coroner's Office were waiting. The operation concluded at approximately 9:45 a.m.

The coroner confirmed that Skipper died from multiple blunt force injuries and ruled his death an accident. His family was notified and kept informed about the rescue and investigation process.

Friends remember the deceased with warm memories

Skipper was a 1976 graduate of Hixson High School. One of his former classmates said they were looking forward to seeing him at a reunion in a few weeks.

“He was doing what he loved. Andrew was a very kind and polite person. I am praying for his family,” he said.

Another acquaintance who grew up in the same neighborhood called Skipper a “wonderful person with a big heart” and expressed condolences to his family.

Another climber dies near Aspen

Skipper was one of two climbers who died in separate incidents near Aspen within a few days.

37-year-old Andrew Tyler Sykes died on September 6 after falling on the north face of Castle Peak. Rescuers reached him around 4:00 p.m., but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The coroner reported that Sykes also died from multiple blunt force injuries and recorded his death as an accident. His body was recovered from the mountain that same day.

The Pitkin County Coroner's Office expressed gratitude to Mountain Rescue Aspen, CareFlight of the Rockies, Flight for Life, and the Utah Department of Public Safety’s Aero Bureau for their participation in the rescue efforts.

After Skipper's body was recovered, rescuers advised climbers to take safety precautions seriously. They emphasized the importance of leaving a route, return time, and emergency plans with a trusted person before climbing, and using a two-way satellite communication device in areas without mobile coverage.