Oregon Teen Survives Falling 500 Feet While Climbing Mount Hood

A teenage rock climber survived a terrifying fall on Oregon’s Mount Hood Monday morning.

The 16-year-old and his friends were making their way to the mountain’s icy summit in an area known as the Pearly Gates when the incident occurred, ABC News reported.

Officials said the young man fell 500 feet into a valley called Devil’s Kitchen and sustained a leg injury. However, he is expected to make a full recovery.

“At an elevation of about 10,000 feet, it took rescuers about four hours to reach him and another three hours to evacuate him off the mountain on a rescue sled,” the report noted.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service stated that the mountain is a dormant volcano with 11 active glaciers, according to the agency’s website.

“This snow covered peak lies at the heart of Mount Hood Wilderness and is covered with forested slopes and alpine meadows. Mount Hood attracts more than 10,000 climbers a year, making Mount Hood’s summit the most visited snow covered peak in America.”

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office tweeted a photo of Mount Hood on Monday with an update on the situation:

MORE INFO: The 16-year-old climber fell from the Pearly Gates area of Mt. Hood (just below the final push to the summit) down to the Devil’s Kitchen.

(Map courtesy https://t.co/cwG946DJlQ ) pic.twitter.com/nXM6HQWyrd

— Clackamas Sheriff (@ClackCoSheriff) December 30, 2019

Later, the sheriff’s office tweeted that the teenager had been rescued and was on his way to the hospital:

UPDATE: The 16-year-old injured climber has been safely transported to @timberlinelodge , where an @AMRHQ ambulance awaits.

Thanks to all the search volunteers who helped with this successful operation today. pic.twitter.com/o2n9GAgXrA

— Clackamas Sheriff (@ClackCoSheriff) December 31, 2019

“It’s a technical mountain — it’s not a Sunday stroll, it’s inherently dangerous,” Lt. Brian Jensen told reporters.

“Going up there, you need to have the proper skill set and the proper equipment to do so safely. And doing so with anything less than that can be dangerous.”

In a statement to ABC News, the teen’s father, Rishampdeep Singh, thanked the rescue team for their efforts in such a tense situation.

“Because of you my son is in good spirits. This was to be his 98th summit,” he said, adding “We will be back soon to finish the job. God Bless AMERICA!”