PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A woman was rescued on Mt. Hood on Saturday after she was hit by falling ice that caused her to fall near the mountain’s summit.
Clackamas County deputies said the woman, 43, had been descending the mountain’s popular south side route around 4 p.m. when she fell, and was unable to move afterwards.
“Witnesses on the mountain called 911 and kept the injured climber warm with their own gear for several hours until rescuers arrived,” officials said.
When a search and rescue team arrived, they used ropes to move her across the Mt. Hood crater to the Hogsback snow ridge, where they then used a snowcat to bring her to a nearby ambulance.
Paige Baugher with Portland Mountain Rescue urges trail users to remember that “Mt. Hood is not a beginner mountain, especially during warm spells early in the season,” adding that “rapid temperature warming can cause rock and ice fall from the steeper upper mountain, which can injure, kill, or knock climbers off their feet, leading to potentially catastrophic falls.”
Baugher recommends paying attention to temperatures and weather conditions.
“Avoid climbing the upper mountain later in the day when the weather is warm and sunny, as these conditions are conducive to rock and ice fall. Instead, ascend and descend in the early morning, when the upper mountain is not in the sun and temperatures remain well below freezing.”
Aimee Plante
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