From The Mountain Mail, June 4, 2014

An 11-year-old boy went for help for his injured father after the man’s all-terrain vehicle flipped on top of him Tuesday in a snowfield 2 miles west of St. Elmo, near the Mary Murphy mine.

Brian Blacker, 42, of Alma was in stable condition when a Flight for Life helicopter transported him at 4:35 p.m. from St. Elmo to St. Anthony’s Hospital in Lakewood, Chaffee County Sheriff Pete Palmer said.

The sheriff’s office received a 911 call at 2:02 p.m. June 3 from St. Elmo, Palmer said.

He said Blacker and his wife, Gertrude Jackson, and 11-year-old sons Brandon Blacker and Derek Marshall were riding two ATVs when they came to a snowfield.

Brian Blacker, who was riding with Brandon, had the boy get off so he could cross the field first. His ATV hit an unidentified object, causing it to flip up and over, landing on top of him, said Palmer.

Blacker was knocked unconscious and became partially conscious but incoherent and bleeding from the nose and ears when his family reached him.

Without cell coverage, Brandon headed back to St. Elmo to call 911. Along the way, Brandon found members of the Chaffee County Fire Protection District who were out training, Palmer said.

Half the firefighters headed up to check on Blacker, while the rest headed to St. Elmo to make the 911 call.

The sheriff’s office, fire, emergency medical services and Chaffee County Search and Rescue – North responded to the call, and a Flight for Life helicopter on standby in Colorado Springs was called in, landing at 3:23 p.m.

Firefighters and EMS transported Blacker to St. Elmo, where they were met by Flight for Life, Palmer said.