CNN
—
A 36-year-old girl slipped and fell a number of hundred toes from Oregon’s highest mountain proper earlier than the eyes of a gaggle of volunteer rescue employees who rushed to her assist – and helped save her life.
The girl was coming down a preferred path on Mt. Hood, about 70 miles east of Portland, on Saturday morning, in accordance with the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Workplace. Mt. Hood is the best peak in Oregon, standing at roughly 11,240 toes.
The climber “slid and tumbled down the mountain for about 300-400 toes,” Brian McCall, a spokesperson with the sheriff’s workplace, informed CNN.
The brutal fall was witnessed by members of Portland Mountain Rescue, a nonprofit volunteer group targeted on serving to folks in mountainous areas. The group referred to as 911 and rushed to the girl, serving to stabilize her and “present preliminary medical care,” the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.
Extra teams of rescuers arrived and helped maintain the girl heat for seven hours as officers labored to get her off the mountain safely, authorities mentioned.
The climber, Leah Brown, informed CNN in an e-mail she doesn’t know what brought about her fall.
“That is the half I don’t bear in mind,” Brown mentioned. “I can solely guess it was both an ice instrument or a crampon (the metal spikes on climbing boots) that didn’t land and stick prefer it ought to have and I grew to become indifferent from the mountain.”
In a Facebook post, Portland Mountain Rescue wrote the girl’s accidents “prevented self-rescue,” including their members labored with the Crag Rats group, additionally an all-volunteer, nonprofit group.
Authorities created “complicated rope methods” and transported the climber with a litter – a sort of stretcher sometimes used to evacuate victims in tough conditions. The girl was ultimately evacuated to a parking zone at 9:30 p.m. and brought to a hospital, in accordance with the sheriff’s workplace, which additionally took half within the rescue.
Authorities didn’t share additional details about the character and extent of the girl’s accidents. Sheriff’s workplace spokesperson Sgt. Ross Clemson informed CNN the girl was handled and launched from a neighborhood hospital.
Brown informed CNN she was recognized with a concussion and had a number of bruises on her legs and arms however mentioned, “In any other case, I’m okay.” Brown mentioned she didn’t break any bones.
“The factor I’d wish to most stress is my appreciation and gratitude for the parents from PMR (Portland Mountain Rescue) and Hood River Crag Rats who evacuated me and took unimaginable care of me the entire time,” Brown mentioned.
“I owe them my life.”
In a statement after the rescue, Portland Mountain Rescue warned of the harmful winter situations on the mountain.
“The quick days and decrease temperatures imply that the snow tends to be very onerous and icy, and the route situations are typically a lot steeper and technical. Additionally descending the mountain in icy situations is rather more tough than ascending,” the group mentioned.
“Solely these with knowledgeable mountaineering and mountaineering abilities ought to try Mt. Hood in winter, particularly when there have been lengthy dry spells with no precipitation. Acceptable and thorough coaching is vital,” it added.