Climber Pinned Under 16k-Pound Boulder Prompts Impressive Rescue Efforts
On Sunday, May 24, 2026, Clackamas County Fire's Technical Rescue teams responded to a call from Hoodland Fire for the rescue of a climber on Mt. Hood.
The climber was caught under a large boulder following a rockslide. Squad 319, Heavy Rescue 305, Truck 316, and Battalion Chief 301 all reported to Timberline Lodge and proceeded on foot and by snowcat to the climber for the rescue.
Teams found the climber pinned under a boulder that weighed an estimated 16,000 pounds. Bystanders attempted to move the boulder off the patient immediately upon witnessing the slide, but were unable to do so. The climber remained conscious throughout the rescue, but due to the nature of the incident and potential severity of this type of injury, highly trained teams were mobilized for advanced medical care.
Members of Clackamas County Fire constructed a system to lift the boulder while others contacted LifeFlight and Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) Hospital to mobilize a field surgical team. An aircraft was dispatched to the scene, and a second one was sent to the landing pad at OHSU. As teams worked to move the boulder, physicians loaded medical equipment onto the helicopter at OHSU to be sent to the field.
At 12:30 p.m., almost exactly two hours after the call came in, the patient was freed from underneath the boulder. The second helicopter was just circling the scene to land as the boulder was moved, and the patient was moved to the helicopter and transported to a nearby hospital. The climber is being treated currently and expected to recover, although details of their injuries have not been released.
The rescue was not only successful, but marks an impressive collaboration between Clackamas Fire, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, Hoodland Fire, Timberline Lodge and Mt. Hood Ski Patrol, Life Flight Network, OHSU, Portland Mountain Rescue, PNW Search and Rescue, American Medical Response, and the Hood River Crag Rats. Clackamas Fire shared details of the rescue on their social media pages.
The 2026 POWDER Photo Annual is here! Look for a print copy on a newsstand near you, or click here to have a copy shipped directly to your front door.
Related: I Moved Away From the Mountains, But My Ski Dreams Won't Let Me Go
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 12:29 PM.