Couple roped together plunges 700 feet on Mount Hood, Oregon cops say

A married couple were rescued after falling 700 feet while climbing Mount Hood, Oregon, police said.

The couple, from Forest Grove and who asked not to be identified, slid around 700 feet down the mountain while tethered together on Sunday, according to a news release from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.

Rescuers found the couple around 1 p.m. and the wife was found to have moderate injuries, while the husband’s injuries were minor. An Oregon Army National Guard helicopter was canceled after it was determined that there weren’t any critical injuries.

Portland Mountain Rescue said the couple was roped together but anchors hadn’t been set in case of a fall. One of them had lost their footing and they fell together to the Hot Rocks fumarole below.

The couple was taken to Timberline Lodge, where American Medical Response paramedics were waiting for them. The wife was treated at an area hospital.

Rescuers said that climbing the mountain “is not advised at this time” due to the unpredictable nature of “snow melt, ice fall, and rock fall dangers.”

This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Couple roped together plunges 700 feet on Mount Hood, Oregon cops say."