Monday, December 14, 2009
Search Continues For Two Missing Climbers On Mt. Hood
By now, I'm sure most of you are aware of the on going search for two missing climbers on Mt. Hood in Oregon. Early in the morning last Friday, Anthony Vietti, age 24, and Katie Nolan, 29, set out with their friend Luke T. Gullberg, 26, to climb the 11,249 foot mountain. They failed to return as scheduled on Friday afternoon, and SAR teams went into action on Saturday, discovering Gulberg's body on the Reid Glacier, located at roughly 9000 feet. There has been no trace of Vietti or Nolan however.
Search and rescue operations have been hampered by poor conditions on the mountain, which has quite a bit of snow already this season, and the chances of an avalanche are quite high at the moment. Helicopters have been brought in to aid in the search today, one of which is equipped with thermal imaging sensors. But bad weather is in the forecast, which has added an even bigger sense of urgency to the operations.
Authorities say they discovered a digital camera on Gulberg's body, and it provides some clues as to the location of his friends, but they say getting to that part of the mountain may be challenging. The trio also failed to properly fill out their climber's registration form properly, and gave conflicting reports to friends as to which route they were taking to the summit.
Lets hope the two remaining climbers are found safe and sound. Keep your fingers crossed folks!
For the latest info on the search watch the video below: