ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Colo. – Rescuers worked Wednesday to reach a 19-year-old Canadian hiker who was stuck on a ledge of the tallest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.

Samuel Frappier of Quebec was stranded Tuesday on the east side of Longs Peak while descending from the top of the 4,345-metre precipice.

He was spotted about 300 metres below the summit on Broadway Ledge. A photo released by park officials shows a sloping ledge covered by patches of snow.

About 30 members of the park rescue team were trying to reach Frappier but were dealing with falling ice and rock, spokeswoman Kyle Patterson said.

In addition, a short-haul helicopter used to rescue climbers in Grand Teton National Park was being brought in. The aircraft is capable of lowering a stretcher.

Another helicopter was helping with surveillance and supplies.

Frappier used his cellphone to call authorities and spent Tuesday night on the mountain, where temperatures dropped near zero C. He said he wasn’t injured but doesn’t have any technical climbing equipment that would help him move up or down. Some of the rescuers spent the night at the base of Longs Peak so they could begin climbing after daybreak.

The mountain, visible from the Denver area, is a popular place to climb and can be scaled without any special equipment during the summer. However, recent climbers have said winter conditions remained.