MOUNT HOOD, Ore. — A man was critically injured and had to be airlifted to a Portland hospital after he slipped and fell about 700 feet while climbing Mount Hood.
On Saturday, around 7:45 a.m., the 55-year-old climber, Chris Zwierzynski from Arizona, slipped while on the steep Old Chute route on Mount Hood's south side, located at about an 11,200-foot elevation.
Zwierzynski was unable to break his fall, tumbling about 700 feet into the Hot Rocks area and "sustaining multiple injuries," according to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.
A few off-duty military medics, along with two Mount Hood National Forest climbing rangers in the area, saw the fall and descended to help. The rangers also provided first aid to Zwierzynski.
Clackamas County and Hood River County sheriff's offices search and rescue coordinators activated a joint mission to perform an evacuation with Portland Mountain Rescue, the Hood River Crag Rats, the Oregon Department of Emergency Management and the U.S. Forest Service.
Portland Mountain Rescue and the Hood River Crag Rats were able to reach Zwierzynski shortly after 1 p.m.. Due to his "critical condition," a helicopter transport was requested from the Oregon Army National Guard's 189th Aviation Regiment, which specializes in medical evacuations.
Video taken by rescue crews shows the National Guard helicopter arriving on the mountain. It was able to do a "hot landing" off a portion of the Hogsback, a wind carved snow formation on the mountain.
Zwierzynski was then transported to a Portland hospital for emergency treatment, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. His current condition is unknown.
PMR warned would-be climbers to get proper training, such as from the Mazamas, or to travel with an experienced guide before attempting to climb Mount Hood.
"All routes become progressively more difficult approaching the summit, which can lure inexperienced climbers into situations beyond their skill," cautioned Mark Morford of PMR.
