Arizona man critically hurt after fall during Mt Hood climb: Sheriffs
MT HOOD, Ore. - Sheriff's officials in an Oregon county say an Arizona man was critically injured as a result of a fall on Mt. Hood that prompted a rescue.
In a statement released on July 9, the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said they, along with the sheriffs in Hood River County, led a mission to take 55-year-old Chris Zwierzynski off Mt. Hood.
The incident, sheriffs say, happened at 7:45 a.m. on July 6, when Zwierzynski slipped on a climbing route that was described as very steep, and at a level of about 11,200 ft.
"The snow surface was frozen, and the climber was unable to arrest his fall — tumbling about 700 feet down to the Hot Rocks area and sustaining multiple injuries," read a portion of the statement.
Officials say rescuers reached Zwierzynski at around 1:00 p.m., and a National Guard helicopter subsequently took the man to a Portland hospital for emergency treatment.
Family thanks rescuers
On July 10, Zwierzynski's wife, Laurie, released a statement on what happened.
The Zwierzynski family is beyond grateful. Chris was so blessed to have people there when the fall happened. The swiftness of aid was a Godsend. We are so thankful to the other hikers, the rangers, the rescue teams and the Hospital staff. They are true angels.
Although it will be a long recovery, Chris is in good spirits and progressing nicely. He required a couple surgeries and will have many months of rehab ahead. It is a miracle that his injuries were not more severe.
Chris is an avid hiker with much experience. He was prepared and outfitted with the proper equipment on this hike. He jokingly commented, "Its crazy that out of all the hikes I've successfully completed, this is the one that's made the news." This goes to show that accidents can happen to anyone.
The family is so grateful for all the prayers and well wishes.
A GoFundMe has also been set up to help with the costs associated with Zwierzynski's recovery efforts.