HomeHeroesClimber Trapped Under 16,000-Pound Boulder Expected to Recover Thanks to Massive Rescue...
Credit: WJLA

Climber Trapped Under 16,000-Pound Boulder Expected to Recover Thanks to Massive Rescue Effort

Climber Trapped Under 16,000-Pound Boulder Expected to Recover Thanks to Massive Rescue Effort

A 16,000-pound boulder pinned a climber on Mount Hood on Sunday morning, setting off a rescue that pulled in firefighters, sheriff’s deputies, air crews and a specialized surgical team.

Clackamas Fire said its Technical Rescue Team responded at about 10:20 a.m. on May 24 after Hoodland Fire requested mutual aid for an injured climber near Timberline Lodge.

Squad 319, Heavy Rescue 305, Truck 316 and Battalion Chief 301 went to Timberline Lodge, then traveled on foot and by snow cat to reach the patient.

Rescuers found the climber trapped under a boulder that Clackamas Fire estimated weighed 16,000 pounds. The agency said the boulder fell during a minor rockslide. A large crowd of bystanders tried to help, but the boulder could not be moved.

Clackamas Fire said leaders set up unified command with the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office and Hoodland Fire.

The climber was conscious and able to communicate, but Clackamas Fire said the circumstances and possible severity of the injuries led crews to mount a more complex response.

As rescuers built a system to lift the boulder, other crews contacted LifeFlight and OHSU to activate a specialized field surgical team. LifeFlight sent one aircraft to the scene and a second helicopter to the landing pad at OHSU. Physicians and surgeons at OHSU assembled medical equipment and loaded it onto a LifeFlight helicopter.

At about 12:30 p.m., as the second helicopter circled the scene to land, the Technical Rescue Team freed the climber and moved the injured person to the first helicopter for transport to an area hospital.

The climber is being treated at a nearby hospital and is expected to recover.

Agencies involved included Clackamas Fire, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Hoodland Fire, Timberline Lodge and Mt. Hood Ski Patrol, Life Flight Network, OHSU, Portland Mountain Rescue, PNW Search and Rescue, and the Hood River Crag Rats.

Clackamas Fire said its Technical Rescue Team is an Urban Search and Rescue task force that is mission-ready and equipped for rapid deployment through the national mutual aid system.

Read more from WJLA.

Jonathan Vize
By Jonathan Vize
Jonathan Vize
By Jonathan Vize
Previous article
Acrobat balancing on a tall stack of ladders inside a red-and-white circus tent, with stage lights, a person standing below, part of a seated person in the foreground, and the caption “Former Ringmaster Finds Redemption As Loveland Parking Lot Becomes a Public Stage” at the bottom.
Former Ringmaster Finds Redemption As Loveland Parking Lot Becomes a Public Stage
Next article
Black and white dog standing on rocks at the edge of the water, with the text: “Rescuers Used a Drone to Find a Dog Who Survived a Huge Cliff Fall”
Rescuers Used a Drone to Find a Dog Who Survived a Huge Cliff Fall

RELATED ARTICLES

🌎 WORLD CHANGERS

Jonathan Vize
Jonathan Vize
Jonathan is the Managing Editor of The Daily Goods and Director of Content at Goodable, where he leads everything from daily storytelling to the systems powering content across the app and API.

He has over 20 years of experience in newsrooms, storytelling and digital content strategy. He began his career in broadcast journalism, rising through the ranks as a video editor before taking on the role of Senior Manager of Broadcast Operations, overseeing 150+ staff at Canada's Biggest television newsroom.

Jonathan oversees all content teams and output at Goodable. Jonathan loves his family, golf and professional wrestling (in that order).

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!