Posted on 12/19/2006 5:14:42 AM PST by areafiftyone
HOOD RIVER, Ore. — The air rescue operations have been called off in the search for two missing Mount Hood climbers, FOX News has learned.
Search and rescue crews on hill are on much lower elevations and are all volunteer. They will use metal detectors and avalanche poles during their search.
Black Hawk helicopters have flown back to their base in Salem, Ore., and the Chinook helicopter will fly back to its base in Pendleton, Ore.
The search narrowed Tuesday to a small rugged section of ridge and glacier on the dangerous north side, but searchers say it has had up to 10 feet of snow since the two men, and another found dead, were reported missing.
The body of Kelly James, 48, of Dallas, Texas, was removed by helicopter Monday from the 11,239-foot summit after rescue workers winched it up from a snow cave about 300 feet down the steep north side.
Hood River County Sheriff Joe Wampler said James had an "obvious" arm injury. Wampler said the other climbers had likely left their injured companion in the cave to find help, but had to dig a shallow cave of their own on a steep slope as the bad weather worsened.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
This is beyond sad. Why on earth does this stuff happen always around the Holidays? Just horrible.
I don't think they'll be found until Spring thaw...
I feel sorry for their families but shouldn't these three be up for the Darwin award for stupidity? What on earth were they thinking - climbing up a mounting when it's COLD. Good grief - get a brain already.
Apparently, others who know about these things agree...particularly if the climbers fell into one of the crevices.
I can imagine the agony of the families whose loved ones are still missing....no maybe I can't.
A lot of people climb when it's cold. On the other hand, most people don't climb with 10 ft of snow and 60 knot winds on the way...
I was expecting this. How sad for the family, right before Christmas. Terrible.
I was expecting this. How sad for the family, right before Christmas. Terrible.
***
How sad any time of year.
What cut me was the mother -- I believe of the one they found??? -- begging the mountain to give up her son. I don't usually fall apart, but those words did it for me.
Over the weekend there was a FReeper (apparently a Climber) defending these guys. Saying they were 'training' for an Everest Climb and wanted to 'test themselves'. Well last I check Mt Everest is 29,035 ft high and these guys made it to 10,000 ft on Mt Hood. IIRC 10,000 ft isn't even to the 1st Base Camp on Everest.
As such I agree with you, they should get a Darwin Award and would have died on Everest on day one. IMO their egos got in the way and now millions in tax money is being spent to recover the bodies.
Why did they try to go to the top and back down the other side to see ther familys on the other side of the mountain?
Wernt there roads around the mountain fer them to use?
Them fellers wernt to brite ifin ye asks me!
I know. It seems the worst happens during the holidays.
I think you are right. When they were not found in 4 or 5 days I figured they were done. I will bet they did not take enough food nor did they take the gear needed for the obvious incoming bad weather. Just a hunch.
They are speculating just that, if they fell, they will never be seen again.
I know. Just seeing the families in the news conferences breaks my heart!
Mountain-climbing is called a sport, and is being defended by many. I admire the bravery and endurance of mountain climbers but personally consider it a senseless waste of that bravery and endurance. Men who risk their lives for the good of others have my utmost respect and admiration, but this sport is only for their own personal satisfaction. What do they actually accomplish for the risk they take? There is so much good that needs to be accomplished in this world that takes the risk of brave men, but scaling a mountain just for the sake of oding it is not one of them.
That said, though, I am praying for the safe return of these climbers. I hope and pray that they and their families don't have to wait much longer for that happy reunion.
I recall someone I met up in Mass. who used to hike the Mountains. He said he's bring a week's worth of food on an overnight trip. I must've looked puzzled because he said that one unexpected storm or broken bone and you could easily be there a week before you were found.
Yes, prayers for the families. Not the way to celebrate the Christmas season.
It's not only sad, it was so stupid and needless.
There are certain forms of extreme sports, like climbing Mt. Hood in December, or bungee-jumping into live volcanoes, for example, that make a person a pre-approved candidate for the Darwin Award. Mass insanity, in this case.
What makes this especially egregious is the fact that the people who engage in such activities seem to have no plan for backup if something goes terribly wrong. Jeez, even skydivers carry a reserve 'chute.
But with winter mountain climbing, you voluntarily court a high possibility of death, with your only hope for backup being public rescue facilities and volunteers.
I heard on Foxnews this morning that the rescue attempt is going to cost a fortune. They have two Blackhawks and one Chinook operating constantly, at a cost of around $5,000 per hour each. They have hundreds of people looking for them, and unfortunately, it looks grim for all of them. But imagine the impact on the families.
Besides the death of their loved ones, the estate of the deceased will probably be billed for the costs of the rescue attempt before the families even collect the insurance. People who hike the Grand Canyon and need rescue are billed, I imagine it will be the same in this case.
I just wonder if people who engage in high-risk sports like this have high-risk insurance available for such contingencies. Normal life-insurance policies have exclusions for such hazardous activities.
I'm sorry for the families, but I'm thankful we didn't have another episode like we saw a few years ago where a Blackhawk trying to rescue stranded hikers caught it's rotor tip on the snow and went tumbling down the mountainside.
I guess that's what bugs me the most about this.
Winter climbing seems to be something that if you do it, you risk not only your own life, but possibly the lives of many others who are not part of your venture. I consider to be arrogant and thoughtless.
So prayers for the families, but the climbers were fools, and I'm glad the rescuers haven't gotten injured.
I totally agree with your post.
Actually there are devices they could have rented ( Mountain Locator ) for 5 dollars a day, for some reason they chose not to. I personally think they should be required. The device constantly monitors your movement and position.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/tech/article/0,2777,DRMN_23910_4832797,00.html
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