(National Guard) Helicopter Crashes During Rescue Attempt

Copter crashes during Mt Hood rescue
Washington Times ~~~ Hil Anderson in L.A. (UPI) May 30, 2002

     TIMBERLINE LODGE, Ore., May 30 (UPI) -- An Oregon Air National Guard helicopter crashed on live television Thursday during a mission to rescue a group of mountain climbers who took a deadly fall into a crevasse on Mount Hood.
     The HH-60G Pave Hawk chopper appeared to be unable to maintain altitude as it hovered near the stranded climbers and then rolled over and over more than 1,000 feet down the steep snow-covered slope after its rotor struck the side of the mountain.
     The airmen aboard the copter survived the harrowing crash, which took place in full view of news helicopters from Portland that were covering the rescue.
     "All of the crew members are out and are being treated," said Lt. Christopher Garden, an Air National Guard pararescue jumper who was taking part in the rescue mission.
     It was not known if the thin air contributed to the helicopter's inability to stay aloft.
     "The conditions are good for rescue," Garden said. "The problem is the altitude. It is difficult to get in at that high an altitude because the air is thin."
     Three of nine climbers who fell into the crevasse near the summit of the mountain were killed. Angela Blanchard, spokeswoman for the Clackamas County Sheriff's Dept., told reporters that the toll among the helicopter crew and climbers together included five patients in critical condition and five others with non-life threatening injuries.
     Two of the injured climbers that were hospitalized were reported suffering from hypothermia as well as broken bones and cuts suffered in the fall that occurred around 9 a.m. They were identified by Portland television station KGW as Harry Slutter, 43, New York City; Christopher Kern, 40, Long Island, N.Y.; and Thomas Hellman, 45, hometown unknown.
     The climbers were not all part of the same group, but were all swept into a 10-20 foot crevasse when someone fell and slid into the groups below.
     "One or both of the two people above seemed to be having trouble with their footing," said Cleve Joyner, a firefighter from the Mount Hood area who was among the climbers that was not injured.
     Joyner's son, Cole, 14, was among those who fell into the crevasse, but was not seriously hurt.   "It was an emotional moment when I saw he was alive," Joiner said. "I had to fight back tears."
     The Mount Hood crash occurred a day after three members of another climbing party were killed on Mount Rainier in Washington. One of the victims was killed in a fall into a crevasse while two others died when a snow cave they had hunkered down in on Tuesday night collapsed during a blizzard.
     (Reported by Hil Anderson in Los Angeles)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oregon TV and Newspapers:

http://www.katu.com/
http://www.kgw.com/
http://www.kgw.com/livecams/kgwskycams_timberline.html
http://www.koin.com/
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/ <---The Oregonian
http://www.registerguard.com/ <---Eugene, OR

Washington TV and Newspapers:

http://king5.com/
http://www.komotv.com/
http://www.seattletimes.com/

Are you always like this when you meds wear off? Does your keeper know you're playing on the internet?

"i don't wish to seem heartless, let their families pay for and organize the rescue attempts"

How's this for heartless!

When the Government stops rescuing illegal aliens on rafts from Cuba and Hatti at the cost of million of dollars.

Then I might consider not spending US dollars on rescuing US citizens.

Bump

Well, I had to look up what kern meant. How interesting are these names!

What got me was the totally emotionless response of the reporter.
'Oh my goodness'
'Oh my'
Idiots!!

I'm really late on this, but the last I heard... the crew made it with recoverable injuries. Granted, injuries as a rule are unacceptable but in these circumstances recoverable is not only amazing but thankfully a blessing...