Hiker rescued from Organ Mountains’ highest peak
LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- The Las Cruces Fire Department Technical Rescue Team helped find a stranded hiker Sunday.
The team was called out to The Needle, the Organ Mountain's highest point. They were joined by the U.S. Border Patrol's Search and Rescue team, New Mexico State Police, Mesilla Valley Search and Rescue and the Organ Mountain Technical Rescue team.
The 29-year-old man was caught in high winds near the peak. Border Patrol used a helicopter to find him, and used the helicopter's spotlight to guide him down to a rendezvous point, where other emergency crews met him.
The lone hiker was uninjured and was able to get off the mountain with help from the rescue crews.
Officials say this is the second time in a week that rescuers have been deployed to the Organ Mountains. They recovered the body of a 63-year-old Columbus, Ohio man who fell in the mountains Wednesday. Officials say his body was recovered early Thursday morning.
