Colorado man dies in 20-foot fall while climbing in Boulder Canyon

A Colorado man died after falling while climbing with family and friends in Boulder Canyon, according to officials.

At approximately 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, the Boulder County Regional Communications Center received a 911 text reporting an injured climber near the 33700 block of Boulder Canyon Drive, at the Riviera climbing area. Additional messages indicated that CPR was in progress and that the climber was unresponsive.

Emergency responders arrived to find the 41-year-old man from Golden, Colorado, had fallen approximately 20 feet and had died from his injuries. He had been climbing in the area with family and friends at the time of the incident.

Multiple agencies coordinated the response and recovery effort, including Boulder County Emergency Services, Boulder Emergency Squad, Rocky Mountain Rescue, Sunshine Fire Protection District, American Medical Response, the Boulder County Coroner’s Office, and Boulder County Victim Advocates.

The victim was transported from the climbing site down to the road by rescue personnel.

The Riviera is a well-known and popular climbing area in Boulder Canyon, where accidents have been reported in the past, including in November 2023, when a climber suffered serious injuries in a 30-foot fall at an area known as ‘The Dome’.