Marriage proposal on Colorado mountain ends in rescue.
Texas couple were rescued by nearby campers after getting lost.
A Texas man's attempt to find the perfect isolated spot to pop the question atop a Colorado mountain on Saturday ended with newly engaged couple having to be rescued after an hours-long, harrowing experience.
The Boulder County Sheriff's Office said that Joshua Mason, 27, and his girlfriend, Katie Davis, 28, flew from Denton, Texas to Denver on Friday before setting out on a hike at the Fouth of July Trailhead to Jasper Peak on the Continental Divide the following day.
“Mason was hoping to find an isolated scenic location ‘away from any other people’ to propose to Davis,” the sheriff’s office said. “They found exactly such a location, and Davis happily accepted the surprise proposal.”
Joshua Mason and his girlfriend, Katie Davis, set out to hike the 4th of July Trailhead to Jasper Peak on the Continental Divide for an "isolated scenic location" to propose. (FOX31)
After hiking more than 8.2 miles and ascending 3,000 feet to the nearly 13,000-foot summit, the newly engaged couple discovered the carefully planned engagement took an abrupt turn.
“As it started getting dark, there’s no trail to see. It’s not clearly marked,” Boulder County Sheriff Mountain Deputy Dan Walter told FOX31.
The sheriff's office said the couple was not wearing warm clothes, was carrying little water and was not acclimated to the higher terrain. The two ended up getting "disoriented" and lost until about midnight, when a camper hiking in the area heard their screams.
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“They had come down a ridge line and cliffed-out. They came to a cliff and couldn’t go any further and were yelling for help," Walter told FOX31. "By the grace of God, (the camper) happened to be hiking by where he could hear them."
The sheriff's office said the pair ended up getting "disoriented" and lost until about midnight, when a camper hiking in the area heard screams. (FOX31)
The man told authorities the couple was showing signs of altitude sickness and severe dehydration when he discovered them. He led the pair to a group of his friends that were camping at a nearby lake.
"One of them recognized this is a serious situation that they were in," Walter said.
One of the campers in the group hiked down to her vehicle in the middle of the night to then drive to call 911 for help. Rescue crews were able to reach the couple by 4:30 a.m., and walked the two of them down to the trailhead by 6:30 a.m. on Sunday.
"Mason acknowledged that he did not allow enough time to complete the hike before dark, and they did not carry enough water or food," the sheriff's office said.
Despite the harrowing ordeal, the newly engaged couple appear to be ready to start planning the big day.
"Last thing I said, 'So is the engagement still on?'" Walter told Fox31, "and she said, 'oh yes.'"
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