Man rescued from Mount Hood after climbing it to kill himself, authorities say
PORTLAND, Ore. -- An Oregon Army National Guard has lifted a stranded climber and six rescuers from the summit of Mount Hood. State search and rescue coordinator Scott Lucas tells KGW-TV the climber chose Oregon's tallest peak as the place to end his life and then changed his mind when he got to the top.
The man had driven from Texas and made his climb to the summit on Thursday, CBS Portland affiliate KOIN reports. He had no plans to descend.
Officials told KOIN 6 News the man has previously attempted suicide and called people from Mount Hood to let them know he planned to die there. According to KOIN, rescuers reached him Friday morning, found he was not injured but he needed help getting down. Conditions on the mountain were treacherous in the middle of the hot summer day, with rocks falling and ice melting.
The Oregon Army National Guard sent two helicopters to assist with the rescue. A Chinook helicopter brought the rescue crews and the climber down, and the man was taken away by ambulance when the chopper landed, according to KOIN.