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CNN Live Today

Recovery Teams Try to Bring Down Three Bodies From Mt. Hood

Aired May 31, 2002 - 14:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, back to Mt. Hood, where recovery teams are trying to bring down the last of three people killed yesterday in a chain reaction accident not far from the summit. CNN's Frank Buckley is following their progress and joins us now with the latest from there -- Frank.

BUCKLEY: Carol, the recovery effort is under way. In fact, right now, just under the 10,000 foot level, it appears as though, we are told, in fact, by the sheriff's department that the final body of one of the initial group of climbers that was killed when they fell into the crevice yesterday at about 9:00 this morning, that final body is now coming down the mountainside.

It was the rescue effort of the climbers that we all witnessed live on television yesterday as the Pave Hawk helicopter from the 939th rescue wing came in to try to rescue one of the severely injured climbers. As the helicopter was coming in, something went wrong. The helicopter crashed and then rolled down the hill.

On the ground, there were rescuers in place who were actually trying to attach a litter with one of the severely injured hikers to a cable that would have hoisted that litter up into the helicopter. As that was taking place, the helicopter crashed.

We earlier this day spoke with one of those rescuers who was on the ground, and he gave us the perspective from his point of view.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE ROLLINS, PORTLAND MOUNTAIN RESCUE: 110 mile an hour winds coming down from the helicopter blades and blowing ice and snow, sandblasting your face. It was very chaotic. I looked up, just as we were about to raise the litter, and noticed that the aircraft was pitching off to the left, like it was losing power. I then saw one of the rotor blades hit the snow slope. It was almost dream-like. You could watch it in slow motion. And this thing tumbled down, rolled all the way to the bottom of the crater. I dove over the side of the ridge, trying to stay out of the way of flying debris. Very, very traumatic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: And indeed, now, as we look back, live, up on the hillside here of Mt. Hood, you see the final body coming down the mountainside. One of the three climbers who was killed yesterday when the climbers, a group of nine, fell into this crevice.

In terms of the helicopter crash, there were three helicopter crewmembers who were injured severely enough to be hospitalized, but remarkably, none of them have suffered life-threatening injuries. The most seriously injured is Martin Mills (ph), the flight engineer. He is listed in serious condition today. So, remarkably, all of them, and fortunately, all of them survived -- Carol.

LIN: Thank goodness. All right. So, Frank, it appears then that the recovery operation is over, as far as that location on the mountain, right?

BUCKLEY: Well, that body still has to come down the hill. It may take some time. But once that body comes down, the recovery part of this will be over. Then the investigative part will begin.

LIN: There you go. All right. Frank Buckley, thank you very much. Live, from Mt. Hood.

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