Hiker falls 500 feet to his death during Mount Hood visit with son, rescuers say

A 63-year-old man descending from Mount Hood on a hike with his son died Sunday morning in a 500-foot plunge, rescuers say.

The man and his adult son were at an elevation of about 10,500 feet on the Old Chute route on the 11,250-foot mountain east of Portland when he fell at 9 a.m. a Clackamas County Sheriff’s Department news release said.

Several rescue teams, including two volunteers already on the volcanic mountain, navigated “difficult terrain and hazards posed by hydrogen sulfide and other toxic gases venting from fumaroles” to the scene, officials said.

At 10:30 a.m., rescuers reached the man’s son, then roped down to the fallen man, who was dead. Teams carried the man’s body off the mountain in a rescue basket at 4:30 p.m.

His identity has not been released pending notification of his family, the release said.

“Warm weather at this time of year can create very unstable conditions on this area of Mt. Hood, including falling ice,” Portland Mountain Rescue warned. “The addition of many climbers of varying skill levels can add additional hazards. Exercise caution while climbing Mt. Hood this weekend.”

This story was originally published May 31, 2021 at 7:57 AM with the headline "Hiker falls 500 feet to his death during Mount Hood visit with son, rescuers say."