Lost and found.Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard Bryan Cross, the 13-year-old skier from Eugene who went missing Sunday near the Mount Hood SkiBowl Mount Hood Skibowl is a recreation area on Mount Hood located near Government Camp, Oregon. It is the largest night ski area in the United States, and the total skiable area encompasses an area of 960 acres (about two thirds of this is lit). ski area, was counting his blessings on Monday. After wandering out of the ski area's boundaries, falling into a creek and spending the night huddled under a tree in nearly freezing temperatures, he was spotted by a helicopter rescue crew and taken to safety late Monday morning. He suffered only mild hypothermia hypothermia Abnormally low body temperature, with slowing of physiological activity. It is artificially induced (usually with ice baths) for certain surgical procedures and cancer treatments. . "I wasn't really scared for myself," Cross said after arriving at home Monday night. "I was more scared for my mom. I knew she was scared to death about me." Rescuers said Cross was fortunate to have been found when he was. Shortly after the Oregon National Guard helicopter crew spotted him, the chopper was grounded by a snowstorm. Pilot Mike Jolma with the Army National Guard said Cross was headed deeper into the wilderness when he saw him waving his ski poles in the air. Sean Collinson, a sergeant with the Clackamas County Sheriff's Department, said Cross used smart tactics to stay alive, such as bedding down overnight, doing everything he could to keep warm and leaving his skis behind. "A lot of people were very relieved," Collinson said. About 75 volunteers from a dozen rescue agencies searched for Cross on skis, snowmobiles and snowshoes snowshoes, footgear enabling the wearer to walk on soft snow without sinking. A snowshoe consists of a light frame of tough wood or aluminum, roughly the shape of a large tennis racket, which is strung with caribou skin or other material and is attached to the shoe , starting at daybreak on Monday, Collinson said. Cross' parents joined the search effort along with friends and family members from Eugene. Cross was at SkiBowl competing at an event with the Willamette Alpine Race In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many Western anthropologists classified humans into a variety of races and subraces. Of these, the name Alpines was given to a physical type predominant in central Europe, somewhat shorter, narrower shouldered and darker skinned Program. "The whole team was pretty much out looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. him," said Kipp Hammon of Eugene, whose son Kenji is a friend of Cross'. Cross was shivering shivering /shiv·er·ing/ (shiv´er-ing) 1. involuntary shaking of the body, as with cold. 2. a disease of horses, with trembling or quivering of various muscles. shivering see shiver, stringhalt. but appeared calm during a television interview with Portland station KATU shortly after his rescue. He was examined on site by medical personnel, who used a heating pad to raise his body temperature. His mother, Nancy, called the rescue "a blessing." "God answered our prayers," she said. "The weather stayed good long enough to be able to find him." Cross' teachers and classmates Classmates can refer to either:
"We've had a lot of whooping whoop n. 1. a. A loud cry of exultation or excitement. b. A shout uttered by a hunter or warrior. 2. A hooting cry, as of a bird. 3. The paroxysmal gasp characteristic of whooping cough. and hollering this morning," Principal Morley Hegstrom said. Cross' ordeal started Sunday when he went off skiing alone, after being disqualified dis·qual·i·fy tr.v. dis·qual·i·fied, dis·qual·i·fy·ing, dis·qual·i·fies 1. a. To render unqualified or unfit. b. To declare unqualified or ineligible. 2. from his racing event. He said he was disappointed and wanted some time to himself. Cross skied into an area between SkiBowl's Multorpor Mountain and SkiBowl Mountain and, without realizing it, left the ski area boundary. "I took a powder run that turned out to be a very long powder run," he told KATU-TV. After his run came to an end, Cross tried to trudge his way back to the ski area but made little progress. He fell into a small creek, struggled to get out and made the decision to leave his skis behind. Aware of the danger of hypothermia, he bundled up and sought shelter under a tree. Cross may have been aided by the weather, which remained slightly above freezing throughout the night, rescuers said. Rescue crews had hoped to search for Cross during the night using infrared helicopter technology, but high winds and rain kept the chopper grounded. Cross said he did his best to wring wring v. wrung , wring·ing, wrings v.tr. 1. To twist, squeeze, or compress, especially so as to extract liquid. Often used with out. 2. the water from his clothing and use his ski racing Ski racing may refer to:
Cross said he also spotted the Oregon National Guard helicopter that had been sent to find him, but the pilots failed to see him under the tree where he had taken shelter. The helicopter returned to the area, probably after refueling in Troutdale, and continued its search pattern. About 10:40 a.m., Jolma spotted Cross about two miles south of the ski area, near the upper portion of the Still Creek Still Creek is a long stream flowing across Central Burnaby, British Columbia and into Burnaby Lake (which outflows into the Brunette River). Still Creek's path lies mainly through the industrial area which contributes to its high level of pollution, although through dedicated Campground. "The helicopter came flying over and got me to full senses," Cross said. "I just wanted to get out." Due to worsening weather, the helicopter was unable to land. The crew motioned Cross in the right direction and he was met by a Snowcat, which ferried him to an ambulance waiting on nearby Highway 26. After being revived with energy bars and a soda, Cross refueled with fast food after leaving the ski area. He personally thanked the two helicopter pilots, who had been grounded at the ski area, and said he was grateful to the rescue teams that had searched for him. Rescuers said the bright clothing Cross wore, particularly his red ski helmet The ski helmet is an essential protection measure in skiing that is built and designed for multiple impacts. Similar to snowboard helmets, ski helmets are also insulated for cold weather. with yellow flames, made him easy to spot from the air. Cross plans to go back to school today. He said he will continue skiing and hopes to return to the mountains this weekend. In the future, he says, he will ski with a friend, carry a radio with him and tell people where he is going. "I think it taught me a lesson, for sure," Cross said. "But I'm happy to get back out on the slopes. I love skiing." Reporter Anne Williams contributed to this report CAPTION(S): Mike Jolma of the Army National Guard, one of two helicopter pilots who found Cross on Monday, uses a map at the Mount Hood ski area to show where they first spotted the teen. |
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