Mount Hood Rescue

The latest from The Oregonian:

Officials said they have information that has narrowed the scope of the search, but they will not disclose what that information is.

Searchers did spot an item in the snow late Saturday, but there was no agreement about what it could be. Some witnesses speculated that the item, which is horseshoe shaped, could be rope. Officials said they also found "anomalies in the snow" that helped to narrow the search.

"We found some very positive things up there," said Deputy Sean Collinson of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. "That is what we have to look into to determine if we can see these thigns close up and if we can do it safely."

Searchers also described a test conducted overnight in which a pararescuer dug a snow cave to test the infrared detection equipment aboard the C-130 plane. Authorities would not give the depth of the cave, but said the equipment failed to pick up signs of the rescuer. The rescuer also said the cave dampened the sound of the helicopter.


Update 1 @12:30 PT
Chinook helicopter staffed with rescuers, medics en route to snow cave Link

Update 2@ 1:12 PT
Rescuers making their way to snow cave.
The pararescuers who are being airlifted to the Mount Hood summit this afternoon are being dropped above the area where a snow cave has been spotted. Link

Update 3@ 1:20 PT

Authorities have confirmed finding the following items on Mount Hood, about 300 feet below the summit on the North side of the mountain and near what authorities said was a snow cave spotted by a helicopter crew hovering above:

- An Ice spike

- A coil of rope

- A Y carved in the snow (which is a known climbers' signal meant to send the message, “Yes, we’re here)

- Footprints leading to the summit

- What appeared to be a snow cave Link

Update 4@ 2:09 PT
Searchers reached a snow cave near the summit of Mount Hood but found it was empty. Link

Update 5@ 3:13 PT
Search will be suspended this afternoon
Rescue officials plan to suspend today's search about 4 p.m., bringing an end to a day that turned up concrete signs of climbers and a snow shelter, but none of the three men. Link

Well, thats a sad end to what could have been a rescue today. So close..yet so far. Hood River County Sheriff's Dept. just said on the radio that they are not giving up yet. I will be extremely surprised if anyone is found alive at this point. But as Neil Young said..."I've been wrong before, and I'll be there again."

Update 6@ 3:50PT
KATU TV reports finding one climber dead body found in a snow cave. The identity of the deceased is not known.

Update 7@ 5:54 PT
KATU TV's reporter Nick Winkel says that the body will not be recovered today. They will bring the body back to Hood River tomorrow morning and will confirm its identity then. They still don't know where the other two climbers are. See pictures of a sign the climbers left at the following link. It is the letter "Y" that indicates the message "yes we are here. " Link

My educated guess is the dead climber is Kelly James, the climber who called his family last Sunday from a snow cave due to a possible injury.

Update 12/18 5:21 PT

Yes it is him. 2 men still missing. Kelly had a broken arm (12/19-- dislocated shoulder) and was left behind in a snow cave. Tomorrow's weather will allow for searches but a new snow storm is on its way Wednesday.