Paratroopers mistakenly land inside prison complex

Guards escort 25 from facility near Cañon City

Fernando Quintero, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 14, 2007 at midnight

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A routine military exercise nearly ended in disaster when paratroopers accidentally landed inside a prison complex outside Cañon City this week.

Approximately 25 paratroopers armed with exercise rifles that shoot rubber bullets sailed into a corn field just east of Fremont Correctional Facility early Thursday, one of six prison facilities that comprise the East Cañon Correctional Complex, said Colorado Department of Corrections spokeswoman Katherine Sanguinetti.

She said the complex ranges from minimum-security facilities to ones that house the most dangerous criminals.

The paratroopers, who landed within the perimeter of the prison complex about 5 a.m. Thursday, were escorted off the prison grounds by correctional facility personnel.

"At this time we are launching an investigation to see if our personnel followed the proper procedures," said Sanguinetti. "It appears they handled the incident exactly as they should have."

Sanguinetti said she did not know which branch of the military was conducting the exercise. Area Air Force bases, Fort Carson and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs denied having any knowledge of the exercise. The Colorado National Guard did not respond to requests for information about their possible involvement.

Fort Carson officials said the paratroopers could have been part of a temporary training exercise conducted by any number of Department of Defense agencies.

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