A “cursing and irate” hiker was rescued after getting stuck in a New Mexico gorge for hours – and now faces charges for trespassing, authorities said.
The hiker, identified as 54-year-old Casey Waldman, of Huntington Beach, California, attempted to climb down from a ledge of the Rio Grande Gorge Friday in search of a hot spring, but became stuck, the Taos County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
Deputies were called by a bystander who thought Waldman had fallen off the ledge. They described Waldman to authorities as being alive and coherent, but also “cursing and irate.”
“It was later discovered that this individual did not fall, but infact intentionally climbed down the ledge looking for a hot spring,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
The incident happened not far from the “High Bridge,” a picturesque steel deck arch bridge across the Rio Grande Gorge, about 10 miles northwest of Taos.
There are several hikes nearby, including the Rio Grande Gorge West Rim Trail. There are also hiking trails along the Manby Hot Springs, which are located just below the gorge.
Waldman apparently picked the wrong trail and became “frustrated by not being able to climb his way back out staying stuck where he was for hours,” the sheriff’s office said.
When interacting with deputies, Waldman “continued to be irate and refused medical attention,” the sheriff’s office added. It was not clear how many hours he was stuck or if he suffered any injuries.
Waldman was charged with criminal trespass, since it is illegal to climb down into the gorge, which is a National Monument, the sheriff’s department said.
“This was an unnecessary and avoidable expenditure of County and Town resources,” the sheriff’s office griped in the release.
The sheriff’s office thanked the local and county fire departments, Taos EMS and Taos Central Dispatch for their response.
