Surprised to Be Alive, Two Climbers Rally in Hospital : Survived 3 Days in Snow Cave

Two teen-agers who survived more than three days buried in a snow cave on Mt. Hood with six companions were reported slowly improving today, and doctors said they are optimistic that both will recover.

Their companions, two adults and four youngsters, were pronounced dead Thursday after being found in the cave, dug in an effort to escape a savage snowstorm that enveloped the mountain during an annual school outing.

The cave was discovered by a rescuer who poked through 4 to 5 feet of snow on the treacherous slopes, 8,300 feet up the 11,235-foot mountain, and struck a backpack. It was just five feet from where the body of another member of the outing was discovered Wednesday, one of three bodies found on the mountain that day.

Of the 13 climbers who began hiking up the mountain Monday, four survived, including an adult and a girl who walked out Tuesday seeking help.

‘Surprised He’s Alive’

The teen-agers who survived in the snow cave were identified today as Giles Thompson, 16, of Longview, Wash., and Brinton Clark, 15, of Portland.

Thompson was “surprised that he was alive” when he woke up in Providence Medical Center, said Dr. Gregory Lorts. The youth was taken off a heart-lung machine Thursday night, and Dr. Duane S. Bietz said he has an 80% chance of surviving.

“When he did awake from the anesthetic and the cardiac bypass he related some information that he thought he was dead,” Lorts said today.

Thompson, whose core body temperature was 71.6 degrees when found, underwent successful surgery this morning to reduce the swelling and pressure in his hands and legs, Bietz said at a news conference. The youth remained listed in critical but stable condition.

Responds to Commands

“He responds by opening his eyes, squeezing the hand, recognizing things we say to him,” Bietz added. “He responds to commands.”

The doctor said he didn’t expect Thompson to lose any of his limbs because of frostbite.

Clark was in stable condition today, said Dr. Ben Bachulis, chief of surgery at Emanuel Hospital. The girl was said to be in the better shape of the two survivors.

“She’s combative, and we are very, very optimistic that she’ll recover,” said Dr. Clark Chipman, chief of the emergency department. He said the girl’s temperature was almost back to normal, and Dr. William Long, head of the trauma program, said she can be out of the hospital in a week if there are no complications.

No Brain Damage Seen

Neither survivor appeared to have suffered brain damage, but Long said the girl probably won’t recall anything of her ordeal.

“Perhaps nature is kind that way,” he said. “I would be amazed if she remembered anything.”

The teen-age climbers were all students at Oregon Episcopal School who began climbing Mt. Hood, 50 miles east of Portland, with three adults in the annual sophomore class wilderness outing.

Ralph Summers, 30, a professional mountaineer who led the group up the mountain, and Molly Schula, 17, walked to safety Tuesday using a compass.