One climber found dead; two remain missing on mountain

[gldstwmn]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/17/mis...ers/index.html

HOOD RIVER, Oregon (CNN) -- One of the climbers lost on Mt. Hood has been found dead, according to local officials in Oregon.

Authorities have not named him.

Capt. Mike Braibish of the Oregon National Guard confirmed the climber was discovered in a snow cave and that the climbers' families have been notified.

A positive identification of the body has not been made, said Braibish.

Searchers entered a different snow cave Sunday afternoon hoping to find at least one of the three missing climbers who have been lost on Mount Hood for nine days.

But there was no one inside.

However, Hood River Sheriff's Department spokesman Gerry Tiffany said two ice axes, a sleeping bag, and rope were recovered.

Climbers construct snow caves for insulation and protection from wind.

Searchers also discovered a fading trail of footprints.

James, Brian Hall, and Jerry "Nikko" Cooke began their climb December 8.

The only communication from the stranded climbers came a week ago when James, 48, of Dallas, Texas, phoned his family, saying he was holed up in a snow cave near the summit.

Hall, 37, of Dallas; and Cooke, 36, of Brooklyn, New York, had gone on, he said.

The search continues
Though it is possible the first cave searched was built by someone else, "you have to assume it was Kelly James' snow cave," Tiffany said.

Rescue teams started up the mountain on the north and south sides at about 6 a.m. (9 a.m. ET), and the climbers on the south side reached the summit by 10 a.m. (1 p.m. ET).

Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and a C-130 cargo plane from Nevada will continue searching around the clock in 12-hour shifts, Sgt. Sean Collinson of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said.

The C-130 has infrared imaging equipment that can sense body heat.

The U.S. Forest Service closed Mount Hood above the Timberline Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail to everyone except search-and-rescue teams.

All but rescue aircraft are banned within a three-mile radius of the mountain.

Dwight Hall, whose son Brian Hall is among the missing climbers, told reporters that family members were on "a roller coaster of emotions."

"Keep in mind that today is only the second day of conditions favorable for a full-scale search-and-rescue effort," he said, adding the time had been well spent even when weather conditions were difficult.

"It's all been progress," he said. "At times it's been frustrating. The dedication of the people out there tackling this effort in these conditions is unparalleled."

Hall added that the families were confident in the abilities of the lost climbers.

"These men are fully capable both mentally and physically to cope with the situation that they find themselves in, and to continue to cope with it and adjust as the situation evolves.

"We have full confidence in them. ... That's what's been able to sustain us."

Favorable weather is predicted for Monday.

"Weather is going to be a factor," Tiffany told CNN Sunday afternoon. "If it starts getting really windy again, it's going to be a problem."

"Yesterday was a positive day," said Capt. Chris Bernard of the 304th Rescue Squadron. "We brought some significant data that we analyzed and has narrowed the scope of our search area."

[PsychCat]

God bless those families.
At least they are beginning to find some kind of answers.

[ontheEdgeof17]

This breaks my heart in two.

[irishgrl]

Gad......what a scary prospect, but Im hopeful the other two are found alive and well.

[DrummerDeanna]

I was really hoping for a happy ending in this story - but with them missing for so long, my hope has been waning

I still hope they find the other two alive...

[macfanken]

This is really sad and I'm sorry for the families. I hate to be negative at a time like this but why were these men trying to climb Mt. Hood in the middle of winter?! Just driving across the mountain passes during winter can be dangerous. The weather here last week was horrible. We had two major storms move through, inluding one that was near hurricane strength with flash floods and 100 mph winds. The storms weren't a surprise, they had been predicted for days. It seems like they took a really big risk.

[Rickypt]

^^ I was going to ask the same thing. Is it standard to go mountain climbing this time of year?

It is all very sad, I was following the search on the news yesterday.

[ELIUD]

Not that anybody was asking for it, but don't people like this live with the philosophy that "you haven't lived until you (fill in the blank with whatever daredevil high-risk dangerous activity you like)"? As sorry as I feel for them - and I do feel sorry for them - I can't help but wonder if this is the way they wanted to go out.

NOT ME. Hell no.