Posted on 12/17/2006 7:53:05 AM PST by george76
Fervent hopes and a brief break in the weather brought no satisfaction to relatives and friends of three climbers missing on the dangerous north side of Mount Hood.
The clear, cold morning turned foul by midday Saturday, before searchers on two sides of the mountain and helicopter crews retired for the night because of weather and darkness, finding no trace of the three men.
The Hood River County sheriff's office, a lead agency in the search, said efforts would continue Sunday.
On Saturday, a C-130 with infrared heat-seeking capability from the Nevada Air National Guard took to the skies over Mount Hood for a second day and was to continue around the clock with alternating crews.
After that, "we'll have to see," said Sheriff Joe Wampler.
Cold also hobbled rescue efforts, as some searchers on the north side had to come down because of facial frostbite.
The temporary weather break paved the way for the biggest push yet since the three men, two Texans and a New Yorker, were reported missing a week ago Sunday on what was to have been a quick climb of the 11,239-foot peak.
Ground searchers reported visibility as low as 20 feet as 50 mph winds kicked soft snow into a near-whiteout mist.
"It wasn't quite the dream picture we had hoped for today. But there is the chance tomorrow...
Before dawn, 25 rescue mountaineers began making their way up the south side and another 30 started from the north side, Wampler said. Both teams started at about 6,000 feet.
"I know my son's coming down today," said Lou Ann Cameron of Bryant, Ark., mother of Kelly James...
"It's my birthday. He wouldn't miss my birthday," ...
"The mountain has no right to keep our sons."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Put me in coach, I don't smoke. >:-}
I was basing my comments on print stories from earlier in the week, prior to anything being found. The climber apparently tolk folks he was taking half a sleeping bag.
This is really ending up as a very sad story. Sounds like Kelly came out of his snow cave, got disoriented and couldn't find the cave again and dug a new one. Have they mentioned what was found in the second cave yet? I have been out of touch today.
There's a lot of confusion about whether the second cave really was a cave, or was merely an anchoring point. The other bit of info that came out was that James had an arm that was obviously broken. That probably contributed to how the situation played out up there.
Thanks for the info. I have been reading and catching up. Really sounds like the second cave we more of a cut out in the ice while they prepared for their descent. It sounds like they got pinned in the descent and were literally ripped from the glacier. One report I read was the rope had been cut...it must have been pretty awful.
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