Mt. Hood climber dies after 1,000-foot fall

(Update: Other climbers rescued; witness to fatal fall comments)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Authorities say a climber who fell up to 1,000 feet Tuesday and was airlifted off Mt. Hood has died.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office says the male climber was pronounced dead upon arrival at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland Tuesday afternoon.

Authorities say several other climbers who had been stranded on Oregon’s tallest mountain were safely off the peak.

More than a half-dozen had been climbing near the summit when they encountered tumbling rocks and falling ice. One climber fell to his death.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office says rescuers assisted three climbers to safety.

The sheriff’s office says rescuers used a sled and a rope system to bring down a woman who said she was unable to move.

Steve Rollins of Portland Mountain Rescue said the woman arrived at the Timberline Lodge, at about 6,000 feet elevation, just before 8 p.m.

The other climbers made it down on their own.

An eyewitness who saw the climber’s fatal fall says right before the man disappeared from view, “he started cartwheeling.”

Quinn Talley of Welches told The Associated Press that he has climbed the mountain about 20 times and had never seen worse conditions.

Talley says after summiting around 8 a.m. he was descending ahead of the man who died.

“A party of three was coming down. and one of the guys slipped. At first he was just sliding and right before he disappeared, he started cartwheeling,” Talley said.

Talley says he tried to reach the man, but the ice was too dangerous and he didn’t want to fall and create the need for second rescue. He came across one of the man’s climbing partners, who was also trying to reach him, and offered him his medical kit before continuing his descent.

Officials said conditions were treacherous on the mountain, with rocks and ice falling, and snow is expected to start falling on the mountain overnight.

They said about 40 volunteers took part in the rescue operations from various organizations including Portland Mountain Rescue, Mountain Wave SAR, CragRats SAR and the Air Force 304th Rescue Squadron. Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington state also was sending a helicopter to assist the rescue operation.

Mt. Hood, located about 60 miles east of Portland, is Oregon’s tallest peak, at 11,240 feet, and attracts more than 10,000 climbers a year. The peak is notorious for loose rocks in warm weather, and the sun has been out this week.