A father of seven tragically collapsed and died in front of his nine-year-old son while hiking a notoriously strenuous Colorado trail. Nick Jogolev, 48, suffered a medical emergency on Saturday while ascending the Manitou Incline, located approximately 8.5 miles west of Colorado Springs.
His wife, Coral Jogolev, recounted that around the 900th step, a passerby noticed her husband looking extremely pale as he sat with their son, Sasha. "He was offered Gatorade, drank the Gatorade, got up, and that was it," Coral told FOX21. She emphasised that Nick was healthy, a non-smoker, and never drank alcohol. He had trained specifically for the 2,768-step trail with the Cub Scouts that day.
"I know there's people who just go and do that incline, and they're not prepared," Coral said. "We've done it every year since we've been a part of this Cub Scout pack, and they're a great pack. They train for it using the Parker Incline, the Castle Rock Incline."
The Colorado Springs website describes the Incline, which attracts 250,000 visitors annually, as a "heart-pounding workout with unmatched views as your reward." At the time of the incident, a group of hikers who were doctors and a combat medic were nearby, along with first responders. "If anybody would have been able to save him, they were there," Coral said. "And there was just nothing anybody could do, from what we know."
The cause of death has not yet been disclosed as the family awaits an autopsy report. Coral described Nick as a devoted father to his seven children, who "were his world." The couple had three children together, and Nick also cared for two children from Coral's previous relationship and two nieces under their guardianship. He worked in IT while Coral stayed home to care for one of their children with special needs.
A GoFundMe campaign set up by friends has raised over $60,000 to support the family. The fundraiser notes that Nick was the sole provider and that the family lived paycheck to paycheck. Donations will help Coral ensure the children continue to receive necessary care and support. The family is also grieving the recent death of Coral's ex-partner, who died just ten days earlier. "We've got a long road ahead of us and a tough one to navigate going forward," Coral said.
