A CH-47 Chinook helicopter was used to carry out the dramatic rescue of a suicidal man from atop Mount Hood, Oregon’s tallest mountain.
The Oregon Air National Guard’s Chinook was caught on tape Friday as it responded to the request for help to rescue a 27-year-old man who authorities said had climbed the mountain during a bid to commit suicide.
The man, who has not been named, was said to have been on Mount Hood since Thursday and had six rescuers with him when the Chinook arrived on the scene Friday at about 2.55pm, The Oregonian reported.
An Oregon Air National Guard’s CH-47 Chinook used a pinnacle ‘maneuver’ to carry out a dramatic rescue of a suicidal man who had climbed Mount Hood on Friday afternoon
In the dramatic footage, the CH-47 Chinook can be seen at an altitude of about 11,000 feet, hovering in the air above Mount Hood, before slowly descending to where the climbers and the rescue team are waiting for its arrival.
On its way down, the pilot spins the helicopter around, performing a ‘pinnacle maneuver,’ landing just the Chinook’s two rear wheels on the mountain so that there’s easy access to the cargo bay.
Guardsmen can be seen exiting the helicopter at a crouch, avoiding the chest-height spinning rotors, and helping to escort the climber and the rescue team inside the helicopter.
The Chinook delivered the climber to a baseball field in Welches, Oregon, after which he was transported to the hospital.
The rescue was said to have taken just 32 minutes and four seconds from the time the helicopter departed and returned to the baseball field.
The rescue was carried out at a height of about 11,000 feet and took just over three hours
Authorities said the climber called 911 Thursday night to ask for help after changing his mind about committing suicide. A rescue crew began climbing the mountain Friday at 2.30am, with the Chinook arriving to finish the rescue about 12 hours later
Authorities said that the climber had called 911 Thursday to say that he intended to commit suicide during his ascent, but changed his mind at some point and was going to take some medication instead.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office then called Portland Mountain Rescue for help. The rescue team arrived at the timberline at about 2.30am and began climbing Mount Hood to reach the man.
It’s said to be a dangerous time of the year to be climbing Mount Hood because higher temperatures lead to increased chances of rockfalls due to melting snow and ice.
‘This time of day, this time of year, the mountain is just falling apart,’ 304th Rescue Squadron member Phil Cole told The Oregonian. ‘You’ve got falling ice, falling rock to watch out for.’
Alpine helicopter rescues are said to be particularly dangerous as well.
Unpredictable mountain winds, powerful drafts and thin air at high altitudes are among the risks helicopters face in these types of rescues, The Aviationist reported.
For confidential help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here.
For confidential support on suicide matters in the UK, call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here.
For confidential support in Australia, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or click here.