Climber Rescued from Under Large Boulder on Mount Hood

A climber who was trapped under a heavy 16,000-pound rock on Oregon’s Mount Hood was successfully airlifted to safety after first responders managed to remove the rock on Sunday.

Responding to a request for assistance, the Clackamas Fire District Technical Rescue Team arrived around 10:20 a.m. They were joined by other agencies at Timberline Lodge to locate the climber, who had become stuck beneath the massive boulder.

According to a Facebook post from the fire district, “During a minor landslide, a rock fell on top of the patient. A large group of bystanders immediately attempted a rescue, but couldn’t budge the rock.” Thankfully, the climber was awake and able to communicate, but the situation was still serious enough to require a more elaborate rescue approach.

Rescue teams constructed a system to lift the boulder while also coordinating with LifeFlight and Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) to prepare a specialized surgical team for potential field surgery.

As the rescue operation was underway, OHSU medical staff readied equipment, loading it onto the LifeFlight helicopter. Footage shared by the fire district captured the team’s attempts to free the climber.

At about 12:30 p.m., while a second helicopter was preparing to land, the technical rescue team successfully liberated the climber from beneath the rock and transferred him to the first helicopter for emergency transport to a nearby hospital.

The climber, whose identity has not been revealed, is receiving treatment and is expected to make a full recovery.