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PMR Rescues Climber from Crevasse on Mount Hood
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
At approximately 3:15 PM (Pacific Time) on Tuesday, PMR rescuers
extracted an injured climber from a crevasse on Oregon's Mount
Hood. The subject had fallen into the thin and deep crack
early in the morning during a climb of the 11,239-foot Cascade Range peak.
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The subject, a 60-year-old man from California, and his companion
were slowly ascending the South Side of the mountain, near White
River Glacier, when the snow gave way below and he dropped into the
60-foot crevasse. The accident occurred around the 9,375-foot
mark in an area that does not usually have crevasses at this time of
year. However, low spring snows seem to have changed the
timeline for crevasse formation in 2004.
The subject's climbing partner quickly called 9-1-1 for help and summoned
several others in the area. The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office
mobilized Portland Mountain Rescue and paramedics from the American Medical
Response Reach and Treat (RAT) Team. As rescuers began making their
way to the scene, one of the good samaritan climbers lowered himself into
the crevasse to attend to the injured man as best as possible until others arrived.
Two AMR paramedics were the first professional rescuers to reach the
scene. One descended into the crevasse to begin treating the injured climber.
Shortly thereafter, eight PMR team members arrived carrying a rescue litter
and ropes that would eventually be used to extract the injured man from the
icy crevasse. Several more PMR members arrived within the following hour.
While setting up the hauling systems, the weather deteriorated from
sunshine to low visibility, wind and snow. This would make a
direct helicopter evacuation impossible, so the subject would need
to be brought to safety via the ground.
Two PMR rescuers entered the crevasse with the litter and prepared
the patient for a trip back to the surface. As rescuers and
bystanders hauled on the rope systems, the litter emerged from the
crevasse with the patient safely packaged inside.
The litter was then lowered down 1,000 vertical feet on the snow to
a waiting sno-cat at the top of the Timberline Ski Area. After
being loaded into the vehicle, the injured climber was transported
to an ambulance at Timberline Lodge and eventually to a Oregon
1042nd National Guard Blackhawk helicopter at a nearby parking lot
that had reasonable visibility. The man was airlifted to a
Portland area hospital for treatment of his injuries.
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Reference Map
Click photo for larger view
Rigging the rescue litter
Click photo for larger view
Rappelling into the crevasse
Click photo for larger view
Hauling the rescue ropes
Click photo for larger view
The patient and litter
emerge from the crevasse
Click photo for larger view
Lowering the patient
down the mountain
Click photo for larger view
Patient inside the sno-cat
Click photo for larger view
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Fourteen Portland Mountain Rescue volunteers left their jobs early
on Tuesday to attend this mission. PMR does not charge for
services rendered and is funded completely thru individual and corporate donations.
The UTM coordinates of the rescue are 10-06-01-886E by 50-24-025N and the
corresponding Latitude/Longitude coordinates are 45°21'51"N by 121°41'56"W.
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