Early Sunday afternoon (June 8), Chad Tabler -- a 33-year-old man from northeast Portland -- began hiking the Hunchback Mountain Trail near the Zig Zag Ranger Station on Mount Hood.
At approximately 7 p.m. Sunday evening, Tabler contacted the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office on his cellular phone -- reporting that he was lost and in need of assistance.
Sheriff's Office Search & Rescue (SAR) coordinators were immediately activated, and established a SAR command post at the Zig Zag Ranger Station on Mount Hood.
At least 20 volunteers responded to the scene to participate in the search effort for the lost hiker, conducted through the night.
SAR coordinators summoned representatives from Mountain Wave Emergency Communications, Pacific Northwest Search & Rescue, American Medical Response, North Star Canine and the Four-by-Four (Jeep vehicles) Club.
A Sheriff's Office SAR coordinator on-scene reported that additional assets were to be employed in the search -- including helicopters equipped with heat-sensing technology and additional ground-search personnel.
The U.S. Coast Guard also participated in the search effort.
Chad Tabler stayed in direct communication with SAR coordinators via his cell phone. Use of the phone was limited to conserve battery life. This phone was used for coordinates -- but those coordinates were deemed inaccurate.
SAR coordinators were concerned for Tabler because he had very little water and no flashlight; was wearing only a T-shirt, hiking shorts, a fleece jacket, and hiking boots; and was standing in snow. This hiker is possibly at or near the 3,500-ft. level on Mt. Hood, where temperatures were in the 30s.
At 5 a.m. on Monday, June 9, the missing hiker was located and medically evaluated. Mr. Tabler was reportedly in good condition; however, he and three search-party members would be required to hike out from this location an estimated three hours on an extraction route -- unless the Coast Guard could airlift the group from the Hunchback Trail area.
The decision was made to have a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew airlift the hiker and three rescuers from the area. The rescue crew and Chad Tabler were airlifted from the wilderness to the Welches Grade School parking lot at approximately 7 a.m. Monday (June 9).Sheriff's Office SAR coordinator Sgt. Scott Napoli reports that the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew performed commendably while conducting their mission. "This operation could have very easily gone bad and had a different outcome," he said. "The weather was turning nasty just as we were loading the subjects into the USCG helicopter. All of the resources are to be commended for their teamwork and professionalism! Great job!"
Napoli accompanied the U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter crew, and provided the photographs (linked above) obtained during the rescue/airlift of Chad Tabler. The Pacific Northwest Mountain Rescue personnel are identified as Tom Batty, Tony Hobkirk, Scott Schwab and Brian Hankins.
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Contact Info: Jim Strovink, Detective