Michal Ovsjannikov and his daughter, Dana Barnes, are extremely grateful for the efforts of the Summit Country Rescue Group, Vail Mountain Rescue, Flight For Life, the Air National Guard, and St. Anthony Summit Medical Center staff after a lifesaving rescue operation last summer.

According to a GoFundMe page set up to benefit Summit County Rescue Group, Michal Ovsjannikov was hiking along a ridgeline in Summit County when he grabbed a loose rock, causing him to lose his balance before falling 60 feet down the mountainside. Ovsjannikov sustained serious injuries, but search and rescue teams were able to retrieve him from the mountains alive, allowing for a major recovery.

An article by Eli Pace from Summit Daily clarifies that the incident happened near Peak 2 of the Tenmile Range. The Tenmile Range is the same range that includes peaks of Breckenridge Ski Resort. Peak 2 is also known as Tenmile Peak.

Ovsjannikov and his brother, Martin, were training for the TransRockies Run, a 120-mile, six-day race that goes from Buena Vista to Beaver Creek along the Continental Divide with elevations ranging from 7,400 to 12,600 feet above sea level.

The accident prevented Ovsjannikov from participating in the race that year, but he’s already got plans for another endurance race in June. He’ll be dedicating his participation in the race to those that helped save his life.

So far, the father and daughter duo have raised more than $1,500 for the Summit County Rescue Group (SCRG), with a goal of $5,000 by the start of summer.

Formed in 1972, Summit County Rescue Group is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to providing backcountry search and rescue operations to hikers, skiers, snowboarders, mountain bikers, others in distress around the Summit County area.

To donate, click here.