Courtesy photo/Mike Sweeney A Flight for Life helicopter leaves the scene of an accident where an elderly motorist mistakenly drove into a ravine near Interstate 25 and North Purcell Boulevard on Saturday.

Lost Pueblo West woman found; rescued along I-25

By NICK BONHAM
The Pueblo West View

A 78-year-old Pueblo West woman reported missing Friday night was rescued from the bottom of a ravine Saturday afternoon.

Sgt. Eric Medina of the Pueblo County Sheriff's Department said Jeannette Rickelman was airlifted from the scene via Flight for Life helicopter to St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center. She was released Sunday.

"She was very dehydrated. She couldn't even talk to us," Medina said. "It looked like she'd laid out there for day or day and a half, but it all worked out. It looks like she's going to survive."

Rickelman, who deputies theorized had gotten lost and could be in the early stages of dementia, was reported missing by family in the Denver area Friday night. Medina said Rickelman was last seen on Thursday when she was stopped by the Colorado State Patrol on Interstate 25.

Sightseers found her about noon Saturday. She was lying outside of her car at the bottom of a 30-foot incline near a railroad service road off of North Fairbanks Avenue near the northeastern boundary of Pueblo West along I-25.

It appeared the victim's Mercury Marquis rolled backward down the ravine, Medina said.

The ravine is on the north side of the railroad tracks. There are two tunnels below the tracks for vehicles to use. Medina said it appeared Rickelman had gone south through one of the tunnels, turned around and tried to go through a smaller tunnel.

"She tried to go through the other tunnel and when she backed up, she went 30 feet down."

The ravine is somewhat rocky and has a concrete base, Medina said. It appeared Rickelman tried to drive the car out because "she burned her tires out all the way to the steel."

"I think she just got lost," Medina said.

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