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radical
Intermediate climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 31, 2002 - 11:30am PT
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A helicopter crashed while attempting to rescue nine climbers who fell into a crevasse near the summit of 11,240-foot Mount Hood. (ABCNEWS.com) Helicopter Crashes in Mt. Hood Rescue
Three Climbers Were Already Dead; Four Were Critical
May 30 — A military helicopter crashed trying to rescue climbers trapped on Oregon's Mount Hood today.
At least three people had already died and four others were critically injured after they fell into a crevasse on the mountain near Timberline Lodge, Ore., earlier today, police said.
The helicopter could be seen wobbling before rotors apparently clipped the edge of the mountain as it attempted to maneuver for a rescue above 10,000 feet shortly before 2 p.m. PT.
The Pave Hawk helicopter, a highly modified version of the Army Black Hawk, plummeted into the snow on the side of a ridge where it rolled over and over until it came to a stop at the bottom.
Four National Guardsmen were on board, as well as another rescuer. At least one airman was critically injured, officials said.
One seriously injured passenger was a paratrooper who was preparing to be lowered to the snow when the chopper banked into the ground. The man was thrown from the aircraft, which rolled over him as it tumbled down the mountain, said Alan Alderman of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Department
Rescuers on the ground pulled the others from the helicopter.
Nine Fall into Crevasse
The rescue attempt was set off after nine climbers fell into the 25-foot-deep crevasse about 800 feet from the summit of the 11,240-foot peak shortly after 9 a.m.
A paramedic with the group used a cell phone to call for help. Rescue teams soon set out for the scene on foot, on snowmobiles and in helicopters, but three climbers apparently died in the fall, or soon thereafter.
"We do have three deceased people up there," Angela Blanchard, Clackamas County sheriff's spokeswoman, told ABCNEWS affiliate KATU.
Blanchard said two of the critically injured climbers had been air-lifted off of Mt. Hood before the accident. Two remained behind, as well as two less seriously injured members of the expedition.
Officials said the weather conditions were calm when the Pave Hawk went down, but operating at such altitude can always be dangerous because of the thinner air.
The helicopter was part of the 939th Air Force Reserve Rescue Wing, and was in training for assignment in the war on terror overseas, Pentagon officials said. Pave Hawks are most often used in combat rescue missions.
The three climbers who died have been identified as Kita Owens, a student from Lebanon, Ore., and two male Oregon State University students from Germany whose names have not yet been released.
ABCNEWS affiliate KATU contributed to this report.
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Charlie
Novice climber
Berkeley
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Topic Author's Reply - May 31, 2002 - 12:02pm PT
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Two climbers died on Mt Ranier as well!
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Novice climber
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Topic Author's Reply - May 31, 2002 - 05:06pm PT
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It hasn't yet been reported why/how all 9 people fell into the crevasse.
One likely scenario that one or two climbers fell & the whole team was roped together, so the others were pulled in (i.e. they failed to arrest the fall of the others- perhaps they were not actually belaying, just tied together for some piece of mind).
Another possibility is that a section of a snow bridge or an area near the crevasse colapsed & they all fell in together (or both scenarios combined).
That crevasse is right on a common route on that mtn. & is often crossed via natural snow bridges (or it is skirted).
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BR
Novice climber
The LBC
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May 31, 2002 - 06:11pm PT
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Check out this article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-000038280may31.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dnation
Apparently, the 9 people on Hood were in three separate groups, all on the ridge. The top group fell and took the two lower groups with them into the crevasse. The three dead on Hood were all climbers; the rescuers all survived the crash, although some are in serious condition.
It also sounds like the three on Rainier (Liberty Ridge) were victims of exposure/hypothermia.
Scary stuff, being out there on the edge!
br
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jun 30, 2016 - 01:50am PT
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hey there say, radical...
oh my, i just SAW this, by accident, while looking for something, about
a mountain--this was on ONE of the search-list...
THIS was so awful, :(
as, they all are, of course, :(
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/05/30/oregon.mthood.accident/index.html?_s=PM:US
[Click to View YouTube Video]
edit:
oh my, how awful... the news choppers, were IN the way, so the rescue helicopters, had to wait 40 min! :O near about, :(
the youtube, is like an update, i reckon, that helps them
tell the story... (not sure, who, or, why, the story was used for?)
but here it is...
not sure if they ever knew what caused the helicopter crash...
i think part of the article, said: altitude?
in the video, FORTY FOUR, TWENTY NINE--
the men, explain what they could tell
as to why they crashed:
you can hear it: 44:29
HE SAID head wind, ... shift in prevailing winds... flipped into a tail
wind... (into the roter wash? i think he said) ...
my condolences, to the families, that lost loved ones, :(
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jun 30, 2016 - 02:00am PT
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hey there say, ... also, saw this...
has a bit more about the helicopters, as you scroll down...
http://articles.latimes.com/2002/may/31/nation/na-climb
mentioned, how the chopper rescuer, saved the patient:
Jeff Livic, a rescuer with Timberline Ski Patrol, said the doomed Pave Hawk was about to lift a victim when it began to lose control, and an alert crew member quickly severed the cable that was attached to the stretcher on the ground.
"The flight engineer knew, I think, that the bird was going down and he severed the cable, or he would have dragged the patient, myself, and three other guys that were holding onto the thing" down the mountain, Livic said.
"It was kind of preservation of us, and sacrifice of themselves," Livic told reporters at the command post.
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Guernica
climber
dark places
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Jun 30, 2016 - 10:40pm PT
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Holy moley a 14 year bump!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jun 30, 2016 - 10:54pm PT
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hey there say, Guernica...
wow, say, i just now, as you posted, REALIZED THIS:
the young boy/man, of 15, as of last news post,
would be:
about 29 now... a very thankful family, they are in deed...
whewww...
well, night all... :)
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