MOUNTAIN
MOUNTAIN RIGHT NOW. >>> WE HAVE SCOTT LUCAS ON THE
LINE NOW UPDATING ON THIS ON
THE RESCUE OF THE CLIMBER ON
MOUNT HOOD.
MOUNT HOOD. THIS PERSON IS UP ON THE
SUMMIT.
SUMMIT.
SUMMIT. SCOTT IS WITH THE OREGON OFFICE
OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
CAN YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE ON
WHAT THE PLAN IS?
HOW MIGHT THE RESCUERS GET THIS
PERSON OFF THE SUMMIT?
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SIX TEAM
MEMBERS WITH THE PORTLAND
MOUNTAIN RESCUE WITH THE
SUBJECT ON THE SUMMIT AND FOUR
RIGHT BELOW IT IN DEVIL'S
KITCHEN.
KITCHEN.
KITCHEN. RIGHT NOW WE ARE WAITING FOR A
HIGH RESCUE HELICOPTER CHINOOK
FROM THE OREGON ARMY NATIONAL
GUARD.
GUARD.
GUARD. THE ISSUE IS THAT WE ONLY DO
SEARCH-AND-RESCUE WITH SUCH A
HEAVY HELICOPTER SO WE HAD TO
SEND IT TO JOINT BASE LEWIS-
MCCHORD TO GET A SPECIAL HOIST
SYSTEM AND THEY WILL THEN
RETURN.
RETURN.
RETURN. WE WILL SEND THAT UP THERE TO
RESCUE BECAUSE OF THE HIGH
ALTITUDE.
ALTITUDE.
ALTITUDE. >> OKAY, SCOTT.
KIND OF WALK ME THROUGH THIS.
YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS
HEAVY CHINOOK HELICOPTER.
WILL SOMEBODY DROP DOWN OUT OF
THE HELICOPTER AND SECURE
EVERYBODY AND HOIST THEM UP
WITH WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED
THERE?
THERE?
THERE? BECAUSE THERE IS CERTAINLY NO
ROOM TO LAND.
>> NO, THERE IS NO PLACE TO
LAND UP THERE, NOT WITH FOUR
WHEELS.
WHEELS.
WHEELS. THIS MISSION IS VERY FLUID.
WE ARE KIND OF -- EACH TIME --
WE HAVE NEVER DONE A SUMMIT
RESCUE -- I NEVER HAVE AND I
DON'T THINK ANYBODY HERE HAS IN
SEVERAL YEARS.
SEVERAL YEARS. SO WE ARE KIND OF TRYING TO AS
WE GO ALONG DO THE BEST
RESOURCING AND BE SAFE AND GET
THE MEDICAL CARE THERE AS SOON
AS WE CAN.
THE PERFECT SCENARIO WILL BE,
YES, THAT WE WILL SEND A
BASKET DOWN AND WE WILL LOWER
THE BASKET DOWN AND RAISE
EVERYBODY UP AND THEN BRING
EVERYBODY DOWN TO THE
TIMBERLINE PARKING LOT WHERE
THE COMMAND POST IS.
THAT IS OUR PREDICTION RIGHT
NOW.
NOW.
NOW. WE
NOW. WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT FAR WITH
OUR PLANNING YET.
>> SO, WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT
THE PERSON WHO IS INJURED?
DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION?
IS THIS A MAN, A WOMAN?
DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE
INJURIES?
INJURIES?
INJURIES? >> HE IS IN HIS MID 20s, MALE.
HE ACTUALLY IS NOT INJURED AT
ALL.
ALL.
ALL. THE
ALL. THE INJURY WAS SELF-INFLICTED.
>> WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> HE -- THE CLACKAMAS COUNTY
SHERIFF NOTIFIED US HE HAD GONE
TO THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT HOOD TO
END HIS LIFE UP THERE.
>> OH, THAT IS SO SAD.
>> THEN HE CHANGED HIS MIND.
HE IS DIABETIC, TOO, SO FOR
US THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DEALING
WITH RIGHT NOW.
HE IS SEMI-STABLE RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENT PLAN
TO SEND A DIFFERENT MEDICAL
TEAM UP BECAUSE THE TEAM UP
THERE HAS LIMITED MEDICAL
CAPABILITY SO WE HAVE BEEN
SENDING UP A MORE PROFESSIONAL
TEAM UP THAT IS MORE EFFICIENT.
AND THE HEAVY LIFT HELICOPTER
IS PROBABLY STILL TWO-AND-A-
HALF HOURS OUT.
>> JUST TO RE-CAP.
THIS MAN WAS LOCATED THIS
MORNING.
MORNING.
MORNING. YOU HAVE 16 MEMBERS ON THE
SUMMIT.
SUMMIT.
SUMMIT. YOU HAVE FOUR JUST BELOW THAT
AND YOU ARE WAITING FOR THAT
CHINOOK HELICOPTER TO GET UP
THERE WITH A SPECIAL HOIST SO
YOU CAN HOPEFULLY GRAB THE MAN,
THE CLIMBER, AND THE RESCUERS,
PLUCK THEM OFF THE MOUNTAIN AND
BRING THEM DOWN TO SAFETY, BUT
UNFORTUNATELY THE TWIST IN THIS
INFORMATION WE ARE JUST FINDING
OUT NOW, THAT CLIMBER WENT UP
TO THE SUMMIT TO COMMIT SUICIDE
THEN CHANGED HIS MIND.
WE ARE LOOKING HERE, SCOTT,
QUICKLY AT THIS BLACKHAWK
HELICOPTER.
HELICOPTER. IS THAT GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN
ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM?
IS IT ONLY THE CHINOOK THAT
WILL BE ASSISTING?
>> WE BROUGHT THE BLACKHAWK UP
BECAUSE NORMALLY IT WOULD BE
JANUARY, FEBRUARY WE COULD GO
THE SUMMIT BECAUSE THE AIR
WOULD BE A LOT COOLER, BUT
LIKE THE GENTLEMEN SAID, THE
HOT TEMPERATURES HERE ARE ONLY
A BIT ABOVE 50.
THE HOTTER THE AIR THE THINNER
IT GETS AND YOU HAVE LESS LIFT
ON THE HELICOPTERS.
THE BLACKHAWK CAME UP AS PART
OF COMMAND CONTROL WITH THE
STATE AVIATION OFFICER FOR THE
OREGON ARMY NATIONAL GUARD.
ALSO THEY MAY DO A -- THEY MAKE
TAKE THE FAIR RESCUE TEAM THAT
IS MEDICALLY TRAINED UP TO
DEVIL'S KITCHEN AND DROP THEM
OFF THERE AND THEN HAVE THEM
SUMMIT FURTHER.
SUMMIT FURTHER. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I
HAVEN'T SEEN A FINAL PLAN ON
YET.
YET.
YET. >>
YET. >> SO IS THIS -- I MEAN
EVERYTHING IS URGENT, BUT WITH
THE CHANGING CONDITIONS AND AS
THINGS WARM UP, THERE IS NO
WAY TO TELL HOW LONG IT IS
GOING TO TAKE, BUT IS TIME OF
THE ESSENCE?
THE ESSENCE? I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY KIND
OF TIMEFRAME THAT WE HAVE TO
HAVE HIM DOWN BY THIS HOUR OR
THAT HOUR FOR THE SAFETY SAKE
OF EVERYONE INVOLVED?
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. BECAUSE THE SNOW GETS REALLY
ICY UP THERE AND THE ROCKS.
SO, LATER IN THE DAY THE
RESCUE TEAM CAN'T EVEN TRAVERSE
BACK DOWN OFF THE SUMMIT.
SO, YES, THE LATER IT GETS
THE MORE INTENSITY IT IS TO
WORK THE RESCUE MISSION AND GET
EVERYBODY BACK DOWN SAFELY.
>> AND, SCOTT, IS THERE
ANYTHING ELSE WE NEED TO KNOW
THIS AFTERNOON?
THIS AFTERNOON? >> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. I
>> NO. I WOULD SAY THAT THE CLACKAMAS
COUNTY SHERIFF, I AM SURE THEY
HAVE THEIR PUBLIC AFFAIRS
OFFICER SOMEWHERE IF YOU NEED
TO KNOW MORE DETAILS ON THEIR
SIDE OF THE RESCUE.
ON MY SIDE IT IS MOSTLY THE
RESCUE ITSELF AND THE
HELICOPTERS.
HELICOPTERS. >> GOD SPEED TO EVERYONE.
I KNOW THIS IS A VERY TRICKY
SITUATION.
SITUATION. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS.
THE PEOPLE ARE HEROIC WHO WERE
UP HERE AND TRIED TO CARRY OUT
THIS RESCUE MISSION.
SCOTT LUCAS WITH THE OREGON