Teens rescued from abandoned Colorado missile silo; 1 injured, another facing charges

One teen was critically hurt and another was charged with trespassing after first responders rescued them and another from an abandoned missile silo in Colorado.

Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said an 18-year-old male fell about 30 feet inside the underground silo near the town of Deer Trail around 3:30 a.m. Sunday. The high schooler and his friends gained access by crawling through a broken gate at the entrance of the silo, according to a press release. 

Around 6 a.m., two uninjured friends of the victim who were staying with him until help arrived were rescued from the silo. Thirty minutes later, rescue crews reached the injured victim. He was removed from the silo at 8:30 a.m. and taken by Airlife Denver to a hospital with “serious injuries.”

Along with the three teens inside the underground silo, when rescue crews arrived, five juveniles were contacted above ground. The group consisted of both boys and girls. Of them, one 18-year-old male who was inside the silo received a summons for third degree criminal trespass. The injured victim who is expected to survive may also face a trespassing charge. 

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The other teens were released to their parents, pending possible trespassing charges. Investigators say all involved attend Cherry Creek Schools high schools, which is in the Denver metro area. 

Local TV station FOX31 Denver learned the silo located near 82000 E. County Road 22 has been abandoned since the 1960s. Rescuers described the silo as a “mess” with “twisted metal, collapsed floors, concrete pieces everywhere.” 

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Rescue crews sit atop a cliff above an abandoned missile silo near Deer Trail, Colorado on May 5, 2024.  (Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office via Twitter)

Rescue crews had to airlift a teenage boy to a hospital after he fell about 30 feet in an abandoned missile silo.  (Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office via Twitter)

There was no cellphone reception in the silo, and a rescuer told FOX31 the injured teen is “lucky to be alive.”

Firefighters from Sable Altura Fire, Bennett-Watkins Fire, South Metro Fire Rescue, Agate Fire Rescue and Deer Trail Fire Rescue also responded to the scene to assist in the rescue.