An abandoned missile silo in Colorado became the scene of a dramatic rescue operation after a teen fell about 30 feet inside the underground structure. The incident occurred near the town of Deer Trail in the early hours of Sunday morning. The 18-year-old male and his friends had gained access to the silo by crawling through a broken gate at the entrance, according to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office.
Rescue efforts were launched around 3:30 a.m. when two uninjured friends of the victim were located inside the silo. They were safely rescued by 6 a.m. Thirty minutes later, rescue crews were able to reach the injured teen, who was then extracted from the silo at 8:30 a.m. and airlifted to a hospital in Denver with serious injuries.
Upon arrival, authorities discovered a total of eight juveniles at the site, including the three teens inside the silo. One 18-year-old male who had been inside the structure received a summons for third-degree criminal trespass. The injured victim, who is expected to recover, may also face trespassing charges. The remaining teens were released to their parents pending further investigation.
All individuals involved in the incident were found to be students at Cherry Creek Schools high schools in the Denver metro area. The abandoned silo, located near 82000 E. County Road 22, has been unused since the 1960s and was described by rescuers as hazardous, with twisted metal and collapsed floors.
Due to the lack of cellphone reception inside the silo, the injured teen's survival was deemed fortunate by rescuers. Multiple fire departments, including Sable Altura Fire, Bennett-Watkins Fire, South Metro Fire Rescue, Agate Fire Rescue, and Deer Trail Fire Rescue, collaborated in the rescue operation.
