Lost Climbers Found in Cave; Status Unknown
Searchers scouring the south slope of Mt. Hood for eight climbers trapped by a freak storm three days ago found a snow cave Thursday and a sheriff’s deputy said: “There are people in there.”
Russ Williams of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Department did not say how many of the six adults and two teen-agers were found or whether they were dead or alive.
But a radio dispatcher asked that all available hypothermic equipment be sent to the area. Such equipment is used to revive people suffering from severe cold.
“The cave entrance has been found and our people have entered the cave,” Clackamas County Sheriff’s Deputy Rick Harder said, 15 minutes before the search was to have ended for the day. “There are people in there.”
Icy, Steep Terrain
The tiny cave was found at the 8,400-foot level of the mountain.
Rescuers braved icy, steep terrain atop the mountain to search for the Oregon Episcopal School climbers. Three helicopters and about 30 rescuers with dogs, metal detectors and snow probes scoured the 11,235-foot mountain searching for the hikers last seen huddled in a snow cave Tuesday.
The nearly frozen bodies of two girls and a boy were found Wednesday, and frantic measures to revive them failed. Two other members of the church school climbing party hiked off the mountain Tuesday to get help.
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