One climber found dead; two remain missing on mountain

[IRiSHMaFIA]

HOOD RIVER, Oregon (CNN) -- One of three climbers missing for more than a week on Mount Hood was found dead Sunday, but authorities said they still hoped to find his companions alive.

"We continue to proceed with this as a rescue for the two remaining climbers," Oregon National Guard Capt. Mike Braibish told reporters.

The body was found inside the second of two snow caves rescuers searched Sunday afternoon, and will not be brought down from the mountain for identification until Monday, Braibish said. Watch the announcement that one climber was found dead Video

"I can't even begin to imagine the grief of losing somebody but not knowing who it is," he said. "We're going to find out as soon as possible, and we're going to let those families know. They deserve that."

The caves are in the same area where officials pinpointed a cell phone signal a week ago, when climber Kelly James, 48, of Dallas, Texas, told his family that he was holed up on the mountain.

James also told his family that the other climbers -- Brian Hall, 37, of Dallas; and Jerry "Nikko" Cooke, 36, of Brooklyn, New York -- had gone on.

Two ice axes, a sleeping bag and rope were recovered from the first snow cave, on the northwest side of the mountain, Hood River Sheriff's Department spokesman Gerry Tiffany said.

Climbers construct snow caves for insulation and protection from wind.

Outside the first cave, dug into the snow, was the letter "Y" -- a code used to indicate a climber's location.

Searchers also discovered a fading trail of two sets of footprints.

One set led toward the summit, where they vanished in the wind; the other led downward in what appeared to be an aimless circle, Tiffany said.

The three men began their climb December 8.

Rescue efforts by climbing teams were suspended late Sunday afternoon. But search coordinator Bill Pattison said crews would pore over what they found for guidance on where to look Monday, when good weather was expected to hold.
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). Watch rescuers talk about what they saw Video

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."

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I was totally gutted to hear they found one of them dead. I've been following this story all week and hoping like mad they'd find them alive.

There's still a possibility of finding the other 2 alive but not likely I imagine. The day was so mild today and if they were alive they would probably have tried to create attention to themselves so they'd be spotted.

I'm glad they're not giving up hope and still seeing it as a rescue mission.

[Gasman59]

Stories like this tug at your soul. You wish for the best but that doesn't always happen. I feel for the family of the deceased man and hope they find the other two alive.

[fritz]

Cheers Gasman all you can do is hope and pray

[Skylace]

When I heard that on the news it broke my heart. For his family and friends it hast o be so terrible. I am just praying they find the other two alive.

[IRiSHMaFIA]

Sheriff fearful searchers may be 'spinning wheels'

PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) -- It starts with mumbling and stumbling.

Violent shivers set in and then, paradoxically, a false sense of warmth that makes some people strip off their clothes.

Eventually, they may curl into a fetal position as their muscles go rigid, their skin turns waxy, and their heart slows, then stops.

Whether two climbers missing on Mount Hood for more than a week are still alive is not clear.

But if they are somehow still hanging on in the brutal cold and howling winds, perhaps hunkered down in a snow cave, they may be going through what veteran climbers say is a slow, dispiriting assault on both mind and body.

"We are approaching that time when we have to make serious consideration whether we are spinning our wheels," said Sheriff Joe Wampler, who is overseeing the search-and-rescue effort.

Rescuers returned to the 11,239-foot mountain on Monday to retrieve the body of 48-year-old Kelly James from inside a snow cave near the summit and continue to look for his climbing companions.

But hopes were fading that Brian Hall, 37, and Jerry "Nikko" Cooke, 36, are still alive.

The trio began their ascent December 8.

James called his family from a cell phone on December 10, explaining that he was injured and Cooke and Hall had left him to go find help.

It was unclear whether they were swept off the mountain by 100 mph winds or were buried in last week's blizzards.

The hope is that they created a shelter for themselves by burrowing into the snow and sharing their body heat, as climbers are trained to do.

Avalanche teams planned to soon use long poles to poke through the 10-foot-deep snow.

And searchers in two planes flew over the mountain Tuesday, watching for signs of life.

Rescuers are hoping Hall and Cooke "stick their heads up out of their hole and rescue themselves. We want to be there to see that, if that happens," Wampler said.

On Tuesday, a major setback came when officials developed film in a disposable camera found in James' pocket.

The pictures, taken as the men began their ascent, show the three had enough gear and provisions for a quick climb up Mount Hood but not for a longer period out in the elements.

The photos show "three happy guys putting their stuff out there," the sheriff said.

But "looking what they had with them, I'm pretty concerned about how long somebody can last out there."

Some climbers have survived in a snow cave for nearly two weeks in similarly punishing conditions.

In January 1976, three teenagers lived for 13 days on Mount Hood after bad weather halted their effort to reach the summit.

The youths bottled water dripping from the cave walls and survived on a mush of pudding powder and pancake mix.

But climbers suffering from hypothermia may become confused, delirious, and uncoordinated, and shiver intensely.

"The shivering is agony," said Dr. William Long, director of the trauma center at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland.

"Once the shivering stops, they have lost the ability to fend for themselves."

The blood begins to lose oxygen and thicken, just as a car's oil congeals in frigid temperatures, he said.

"That puts a huge strain on the cardiovascular system," Long said.

Climbers are supposed to dig caves slightly uphill into snow banks, creating a trap for warm air rising from their bodies.

A good snow cave will have a ledge to help drain melting snow or ice and a breathing tube that can be readily cleared; the entrance can serve that purpose.

And it should be marked, perhaps by a piece of clothing anchored to the ice or a stick, to let rescuers know where to find the climbers.

Experts say it is critical to have fuel and a stove to heat water for drinking.

Dehydration can contribute to the effects of hypothermia, and swallowing snow or ice only lowers the body's temperature.

Fran Sharp, president of the National Mountain Rescue Association, said that if Hall and Cooke are still alive in a snow cave, they are struggling to stay dry, digging little grooves in the snow and ice to drain the moisture that accumulates from their body heat.

Dampness can contribute to hypothermia.

Despite a harrowing day and the agonizing loss of James, relatives of the three climbers clung to hope.

"Our faith in the mind, body and spirit of Brian and Nikko remain steadfast," said Hall's sister Angela.

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It's really starting to sound bad for the 2 that are left on the mountain. I continually watch CNN in hopes they're found because I still think there's a slight chance they could be.

I feel so horrible for the families as it has to be so painful for them to wait like this in hopes day after day they might be found.

If they end up having died on the mountain, I hope they atleast find them so the families have some sense of peace.

Knowing they're gone is one thing but never knowing what happened and being able to give a proper burial just adds to the sadness and pain.

[eefanincan]

I saw this on CNN and admit, it's not sounding good for the remaining people. I'll be crossing my fingers that at least their families will get some good news.

[radiomanpj]

We loose more people on that Damn mountain every time someone thinks that a silly little 11,000 ft mountain can't kill you.

I winter, Mt. Hood is just as deadly as Mt.Everest.

The mountains of the Northwest are no winter playground of fun.
Turn your back on them and they will kill you.

Take a wrong turn, wander away from your parents, ski the wrong trail or climb a mountain in the winter storm season and you will force the rest of us to risk our lives to go looking for you.

Please stay warm and safe this winter.