Rescuers Seek Hiker Who Fell Into Mount St. Helens Crater

[Purveyor]

(CNN) -- Rescue crews in Washington state will try again Tuesday to get to a hiker who fell 500 feet into the crater of Mount St. Helens volcano.

The 50-year-old hiker was with another hiker Monday afternoon at the summit, near the edge of the crater, when the accident happened, according to Dave Cox, public information officer with the Skamania County, Washington, Sheriff's Department.

"The climber was standing on a cornice of snow on the edge of the crater, about 5 feet from the actual edge itself, and the cornice gave way and he fell into the crater," Cox said.

The man did not fall completely down to the crater bottom, Cox said, adding, "He's up on a 45-degree snow slope."

Rescue efforts were suspended Monday night because of darkness, air turbulence and falling rocks, according to Cox.

Helicopter pilots on Monday believe they saw the hiker moving. "They thought they saw his head moving around, and a climber on the rim thought heard an emergency whistle blowing," Cox said.

"We just hope his injuries are such that he can hang on long enough for us to get help to him and get him out of there."

MORE...

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/15/washington.hiker.volcano/?hpt=T2

[Gman]

1. WTF is someone doing on the edge of the crater of Mt St. Helen's

in the middle of winter? I'm sure if they returned safely, they'd talk about how it's safe "if you know what you're doing".

No, you idiot. It's the friggin' middle of winter with ice and snow up there.

[arcadian]

10. I've been to the summit.

It's a walk up.

[opihimoimoi]

2. Why do I continue to feel sorry for these peeps who venture a bit too far

and now we gatta go save his ass....

[Art_from_Ark]

5. I don't know what compels people to do this sort of thing

especially in winter. Up there, not only is there snow, but the weather can change really fast.

[opihimoimoi]

17. Thrill Seekers Seekin Freekin Death Encounters,,,,The Odds catch up occasionally

I hope he gets chilled to the point of ".. Not Gonna Do This Shit Again.. "!!!

[gratuitous]

3. Good luck to this guy

The clouds are moving in and tomorrow is going to feature some heavy precipitation. I stood on that ledge in 1994, and it's none too firm; easy to move just an inch too far, especially with a blanket of snow covering it. I don't know how they're going to be able to get this guy out if he's unable to grab a line.

[MercutioATC]

4. Oh, they'll risk somebody ELSE'S life and send them down for him.

...which is why we're doomed as a species. We don't let natural selection do its job any more.

[gratuitous]

7. Yeah

It would have been totally just to have all those folks in Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and Ohio die of cholera (or worse) for living in a 500-year flood plain in 1997. Instead, we risked thousands of lives, spent billions of dollars, and put all those people back on their feet again.

Sheesh. :eyes:

[MercutioATC]

9. We're talking about an idiot who walked onto an overhang to look at a volcanic crater...

...an overhang made of snow...just to peer into a volcanic crater.

I think there's a bit of a difference.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

14. I wouldn't be as surprised if those cases aren't as numerous...

as the cases where paramedics break their necks tripping over empty cheetos bags and Dr. Pepper bottles trying to rescue some armchair internet warrior who wasted his life and died of deep vein thrombosis.

[MercutioATC]

16. Regardless, in THIS case some idiot sightseer without adequate knowlege will probably put another

person's life at risk.

[Truth2Tell]

11. No. Actually, the guy willing to risk his life

for that climber demonstrates why we may NOT be doomed as a species.

[Skittles]

6. I think people like this are idiots and should pay bigtime for their rescues

I also know that life would be very boring without these kind of people

[mindwalker_i]

8. Boy, that's the pitts

He's gonna be really steamed when he gets out. Hopefully he decided to go into that hole-heartedly, but causing all the trouble to the rescuers makes him a real ash-hole.

[rhiannon55]

12. groan,,,,,

:eyes:

[liberal_at_heart]

13. Boy I'm overwhelmed by the compassion

I suppose no one should ever go hiking. No one should ride bicycles. No one should go swimming in the ocean. Life is too dangerous. Never do anything that might get you hurt. As a matter of fact don't drive your car because that is just about the most dangerous thing you can possibly do.

:sarcasm:

[upi402]

15. I'm holding a thought for the poor guy

He loved the outdoors and nature, it would seem. I'll hope he makes it.

[Posteritatis]

18. Reminds me of local comments in the news

Every time someone gets lost in the woods or runs into trouble at sea or something a bunch of oh-so-forward-thinking locals start going on about how the correct thing to do is just let them die, because if they're doing anything that isn't 100% safe they deserve whatever happens.