PORTLAND, Ore. — Two people have been taken to hospitals over the course of eight rescues in 10 days in the Mount Hood, Hood River and Columbia River Gorge area. The Hood River County Sheriff's Office said it's "shaping up to be a busy rescue season."
Starting on the Fourth of July, Crag Rats Mountain Rescue helped a stranded hiker near Mount Hood Meadows return home, the first of many rescue missions.
“We train all year on rope rescue just for busy weeks like this. And we are happy to lend our expertise to neighboring counties," said Crag Rats Hugh Brown, who leads rescue mission in the Columbia River Gorge.
Friday, July 5:
A woman hiking Wachlella Falls Trail near Bonneville was hit by a boulder and knocked 50 feet down a steep embankment. Cascade Locks Fire Department was able to reach the woman and provide medical care. Crag Rats set up a rescue rope system and lowered a stretcher and rescue mountaineer to secure the woman before raising her back to the trail where she was then carried down.
Saturday, July 6:
At 4 a.m., Crag Rats along with aid from Wasco County responded to calls that a man had fallen in "the Pocket" swimming hole on Mosier Creek. Crag Rats set up a rope and lowered a stretcher to raise the man 40 feet back up to the trail. He was transported down the trail to an ambulance and then airlifted to a hospital in Portland, the Hood River County Sheriff's Office said.
Also on Saturday, a climber on Mount Hood slipped while on the steep Old Chute route at about 11,200 feet, falling around 700 feet. The climber, Chris Zwierzynski of Arizona, survived his landing onto the Hot Rocks area but sustained injuries to his head, chest and ankle. A rescue team climbed to 10,000 feet on a snow ridge, called Hogsback, to provide first aid to Zwierzynski. Around five hours after falling, Zwierzynski was evacuated from there in a Black Hawk helicopter from the U.S. Army National Guard that flew in from Salem.
Zwierzynski's family said in a statement that he required multiple surgeries and will be in rehab for many months recovering, but he is in "good spirits."
Sunday, July 7:
A man on Eagle Creek suffered from dehydration and heat exhaustion. Cascade Locks Fire Department provided medical treatment, along with Crag Rats and Pacific Northwest Search & Rescue, who brought a stretcher. After receiving treatment, the man was able to walk out.
Later on Sunday, two trail runners lost on Benson Plateau called 911. PNWSAR arrived to guide them down.
Tuesday, July 9:
A search for a missing person in Hood River involved Crag Rats and PNWSAR, but they were found.
Monday, July 15:
Crag Rats and Cascade Lock Fire Department rescued two injured and stranded hikers near Triple Falls above the Columbia River Gorge in Multnomah County. Crag Rats recued the hikers with a technical rope rescue system with assistance from Corbett Fire and Multnomah County Search and Rescue.
So far this year, Crag Rats have responded to 25 rescue missions, they said. Typically, the mountaineering team has around 30 rescue a year, Crag Rats said. In 2022, they had a record 60 days of rescues near Mount Hood and in the Gorge.
With this 10 days, PNWSAR has completed 41 rescue mission this year, quickly approaching the total number of rescues the volunteer search and rescue team saw in 2023, which was 73.
