A man who fell 1500 feet while climbing Oregon's Mount Hood, head over heels, then hit a wall and into a volcanic vent before landing on sulfur rock, was rescued after having survived on Saturday, his family told KOIN 6 News.
Michael Adams, 59, of Tualatin, Ore., suffered several fractures and was in serious condition Sunday after rescuers on a helicopter lifted him off the mountain on Saturday after he fell, ABC News reported.
Although he didn't believe he would survive, Michael is moving on his feet despite suffering many broken bones and having one of his vertebrae "exploded," James Adams, his son, said.
At an elevation of 10,000 feet up the mountain, Adams slipped and fell.
He then plummeted 1500 feet down a slope, landing in a fumarole - essentially a crack in the mountain from which steam and sulfur gases from a volcano are vented.
After seeing him fall, another climber contacted 911.
Fifteen members of Portland police department's rescue team happened to be conducting a training exercise nearby when the call came in.
It took about 30 minutes to reach the stricken climber, rescuers said.
"This was definitely the most severe injuries I've experienced on a mission," said rescue team leader Scott Norton. "We were very concerned that he might not make it."
The rescue workers said Adams was unable to move but was able to talk.
As Jerome Velosky, a climber, was coming down from the summit, he was asked by rescue teams for some gear and manpower.
Velosky described Adams as "pretty beat up" with "obvious trauma" to his face.
"Rescuers say it's very dangerous to hike the mountain in warmer weather. Forty people have died while climbing the slope since 2000," ABC News reported.
"Earlier this month, Robert Cormier, a New Jersey priest, died from a fall while climbing on the northern face of the mountain."
