Safety Education  · Brochure Series  · Request a Presentation  Member Services  · Members Only Site  · Event Calendar  · Document Downloads  Press Room  · News Headlines  · Mission Summaries  · Photo Gallery  · Mt Hood Virtual Tour  · Newsletter  Links  · Search & Rescue  · Climbing & Hiking  · Snow Sports  · Weather & Avalanche  · Live Cameras  About PMR  · What Is PMR?  · Our Mission  · Team Structure  · Board Members  · How to Get Involved  · Application Process  · Kent Swanson, Jr.  · FAQ's  Contact Us  · Phone Numbers  · E-Mail Addresses  · Make A Donation  Home Page   PMR Assists in Rescue of Missing Cross Country Skiers Sunday, March 24, 2002   Early Sunday morning, Portland Mountain Rescue entered into its third mission in under 16 hours!  The Clackamas County Sheriff summoned PMR to join the search for two missing cross country skiers on the South Side of Mount Hood near the town of Government Camp.   A man from Portland and his female companion from Japan were reported missing after they did not return from a Saturday ski outing.  The couple had become stranded on the Yellow Jacket Trail, about 1-1/2 miles from the Snow Bunny trailhead, after the woman injured her ankle and knee.  The skiers spent the night on the mountain in a makeshift snow cave and tried in vain to walk out in the morning.   Fortunately, a local ski rental shop alerted the Sheriff when the couple failed to return their skis Saturday evening.  Search coordinators surmised that they were not in the direct vicinity of Government Camp and concentrated the search effort on the cross country ski trails closer to the Snow Bunny ski area.   Approximately 3 hours into the mission, Mount Hood Nordic Ski Patrol located the subjects and, with the help of a PMR team, stabilized the mildly hypothermic subjects.  A second PMR team arrived a short time later to deliver snowshoes, as the couple were not in sufficient condition to ski out of the wilderness.   The PMR and Ski Patrol teams escorted the man and woman on a 1/2 mile hike to a waiting Sno-Cat that transported them the remaining distance to the Snow Bunny trailhead.  A team from American Medical Response provided medical care for their injuries on the scene.   A total of 13 PMR volunteers participated in the mission.     Top of Page   Return to the Headlines section.