OR OR - Kelly James (dead), Brian Hall, 37, Jerry Cooke, 36, Mt. Hood Climbers, Dec 2006

[Taximom]

FOX NEWS also showing some feed, boy, man is so small when taking in the entire picture....so scarry and most dangerous. They mentioned, it might be possible to show the exact area of the snowcave---soon.

Thanks, LaMer.

The pictures provided here for the Kim search and this search boggled my mind!

One wonders how it could be so hard for a search crew in a helicopter to find people on a mountain...and then you see pictures and you get it. Whoa.

 

[kahskye]

So I guess if a snowcave is so soundproof, they wouldn't know that the weather has cleared to come out? I just pray they're all in there alive.

 

[scandi]

The searchers up there on the summit are making their way down to the ice cave to take a look. They said on FOX that some searcdhers have made it about 200 feet down from the summit, and they say another 2/3 hour and they will be there. They are going down almost a vertical climb having to use ice picks and rope to descend.

The live coverager at FOX is phenom, as you can actually see the climbers moving as they go down.

Two teams up there now plus 2 men they saw dropped off by heli about 15 min ago. One climbed up teh south face and they are coming over the top of the summit and watching them climb down.

Dr on phone says they each must have frostbite on toes, feet, nose - didn't mention hands and arms. They might be going in and out of consciousness, and no sighting of the 3 men yet. They do not know if all three are in the ice cave or jut one, or if anyone is there. Nothing about that confirmed yet. But they are close, oh so close!


They showed one live shot of two guys climbing down and it looked like they were descending on a plane of more than 65%. Maybe 80%, but that is just my impression. They had just the right angle from the FOX affiliate local station here in Portland's helicopter. It is all over this scene using their zoom lense as they can't get too close.

 

[scandi]

This is being shown live on FOX news guys, and we will see the men as they get to the 300' level to examine the ice cave. They will have a medic there on scene who is a rescuer to splint any broken bones, and then they have to get thenm to the hospital as fast as they can because of the hypothermia and frost bite they say they will all have.

 

[sweetmop]

This is great news so far........keep praying.:blowkiss: Positive thought & prayer for these guys and their friends and families.

 

[scandi]

I wonder why they are dropping so many rescuers and pararesecuers on the scene - there are 30 mnen up there now, so they do have a plan.

ETA: My thought is the 3 men, or at least Kelly James is very smart. Staying inside the cave, knowing people are on their way down. Virtually no wind today so he can probably hear noises out there and is going to simply wait it out in the cave.

ETA #2: The family has left the area about 1/2 hour ago in a caravan of about 7 cars. I bet once they had news of the finding of the cave and them dropping pararescuers on site they headed for the hospital in Portland so they will be there when the men arrive. That trip into Portland could be 1/2 hour to 45 min drive, depending where they take them. I wish I knew which hospital they would go to - Portland Adventist has been used before as it is pretty close to Gresham in E Portland. Emmanual in Portland is another hospital they could go to.

10 men now within close range of the cave. Difficult to get right there at it, but they are getting closer as we speak.

 

[LaMer]

CNN coverage, is showing a man walking down the mountain, and looks to be a deep ravine to his left. Wondering why he is alone. Is anyone watching this? Is this what I am viewing? Unbeleivable!

FOX__Oh now they are saying that man is about 200 feet down the mt. This must be what I was seeing--wow, then when he gets to the cave, he will radio up to the others what he found.

edit to add FOX, switching channels as I go---

 

[LaMer]

I wonder why they are dropping so many rescuers and pararesecuers on the scene - there are 30 mnen up there now, so they do have a plan.

ETA: My thought is the 3 men, or at least Kelly James is very smart. Staying inside the cave, knowing people are on their way down. Virtually no wind today so he can probably hear noises out there and is going to simply wait it out in the cave.

Scandi, I would imagine, being they don't know what they are going to find, they have a group of people with different specialties in the group--but I'm guessing.

I hope they are all well, James may not be well enough to get outside. Just a thought from reading his last converstaion with his son. I pray all 3 are there, but we don't know since they were reported to have gone for help.

 

[Liz]

Please hold to your courage, trust in your faith.........
We're making progress.....our mission your fate.
There is no wind, sleet, nor snow that could hinder us there.
Our climbers embraced by a nation of prayer.

We follow your message, we're zeroing in. We fought many a mountain, and this we can win.

Your families are strong, they know you'll return. Their eyes tell
a story that many should learn.

Hold your hands up to God, he will see you through......
The mountain won't win....we're coming for you.

The snow has been blinding, the wind and the sleet....
but our boots, and our back pack, stand ready at our feet.

The might of the climbers...like a troop going to war...will push
to go onward, that's a mountaineers call.

We will find you......Lord save you......NO MOUNTAINS TOO TALL.

Sunday

Previously when I read this poem you posted, I had no idea that you wrote it yourself. It brought me to tears. You totally rock at writing poetry, Sundayrain! Just beautiful!

Thanks again to everyone for all the great info being posted.

Praying hard for a positive outcome to this rescue!

 

[scandi]

I think FOX is doing a great job.10 rescuers at the ice cave

ETA: Chinook hovering over the site right now with new video from our local helicopter @ channel 6 Portland. Sheriff Wampler still in charge from Hood River. Howver each rescuer has his own mission or job responsibility on site. They each report back to the sheriff. No new reports from the command post yet to the public.

 

[Mygirlsadie]

At this point I am just holding my breath. I am scared to get too excited because of the James Kim outcome which shocked me because I thought for sure he would be found alive. Right now I am just sitting here repeating over in my head ... Please God Please Please

 

[LaMer]

I remember only hearing about the cell calls from Kelly. So I am wondering if the others had cell phones. anyone?

 

[scandi]

I just got off line and called Portland Adventist Hospital and asked her where they would take these climbers. She said there are 3 main hospitals in Portland for trauma: Emmanuel, Providence and OSHU. It could be if they find all 3 they will take each one to a different hospital, as I have seen that before.

The family has evidently been given the word which hospital to goo to, as they left almost an hour ago and have not been seen since. I bet they are so excited and can hardly stand the pressure. Can you imagine how they must feel now that it is imminant they will know what or who has been found.

 

[Lurker Steve]

They haven't reported anyone else having cell phones. If the two others did climb down, I'm sure they would have tried them by now.

 

[LaMer]

I meant to mention for Floh and possibly some others who are not able to tune in to the local networks here, that it was announced, the searchers are still covering the entire area, not just the one centered on right now incase this doesn't lead to recovery of all or one of the climbers.

 

[scandi]

The rope was placed in the shape of a Y. just in

Whoops! The sheriff just called the reporter om FOX and said that is incorrect. The Y was cut into the ice and the rope had nothing to do with it.

They have 3 more hours of daylight to work with. God speed their work now with great safety for the rescuers who are in such a perilous position. I have seen many live shots of the rescuers climbingt down almost straight up and down ice.

In the cave, all rescuers can do is immobilize them. The coldness keeps the mens hearts and brains alive, but causes the skin and bones to deteriorate. Time is of the essence getting them to the hospital. The Dr is worried about the rescuers, but I don't think that dr knows much about mountaineering. Wonders if these men had any underlying medical conditions. NOT We have heard they were all in primo shape.

Still have not gotten a look inside the cave. Crew is very oprimistic. They can't get a clean look at the cave from the air, which is why the ground crews hafe to do it.

 

[cwiz24]

As we are all waiting on the edge of our seats for the outcome of this, have any of you been following the thread about this on cascadeclimbers.com? In their frustration with the whole situation, they have become very rude and snippy. So glad WS (at least most threads) isn't like this--then again, we are always frustrated with something or other, so I guess we're used to it.

 

[LaMer]

They haven't reported anyone else having cell phones. If the two others did climb down, I'm sure they would have tried them by now.

Thanks Steve. Well so far then not a word from the other two. I'm really worried about the others. I hope they returned to the snowcave. One would think that they would have unless they had a major accident.

 

[Floh]

I meant to mention for Floh and possibly some others who are not able to tune in to the local networks here, that it was announced, the searchers are still covering the entire area, not just the one centered on right now incase this doesn't lead to recovery of all or one of the climbers.

Thanks LaMer. i'm yelling here because if i'm to work from 9:50 a.m. to 9:30 pm tomorrow with a 5 a.m. rising on Tuesday i really should go to bed. it's now when bloody time zones matter. :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

but i want to know . . .

 

[Floh]

As we are all waiting on the edge of our seats for the outcome of this, have any of you been following the thread about this on cascadeclimbers.com? In their frustration with the whole situation, they have become very rude and snippy. So glad WS (at least most threads) isn't like this--then again, we are always frustrated with something or other, so I guess we're used to it.

cascadeclimbers.com has been a virtual parallel universe for me all day!