Mount Hood Missing Snowboarder Search Day 3: Avalanche Risk A Problem

MOUNT HOOD, OR — The third day of searching for missing snowboarder Ryan Mather from Aloha continued without success on Thursday. The 30-year-old has not been seen since Tuesday.

A spokesman for the family expressed gratitude for the well-wishes that they've received this week.

Rescue teams focused on the black diamond and double black diamond ski areas of the Mt. Hood Meadows ski resort, the Hood River County Sherff's Office said.

Both areas were closed to the public, not just to let rescuers move about freely, but also because of a high risk of avalanche from above, according to the sheriff's office. The risk of avalanche remained high throughout the search.

Rescuers also searched the area of the Mt. Hood Meadows Shining Star chairlift, where Mather's ski pass was scanned late Tuesday morning, the sheriff's office said. It was Mather's last known location.

Mather's girlfriend called the sheriff's office about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday to report that he hadn't returned home, according to officials.

Mather's car was quickly located in the Meadows parking lot, the sheriff's office said.

A search Tuesday night into Wednesday came up empty, as did a search Wednesday, officials said.

Temperatures warmed to 40 degrees overnight, creating more obstacles for the search teams on Thursday, the sheriff's office said.

The warm weather made snow conditions "less than ideal" for searchers on the ground, according to the sheriff's office.

The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office said that on Thursday they received help from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Hood River Crag Rats, Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue, Portland Mountain Rescue, Corvallis Mountain Rescue, Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Patrol, Mt. Hood Meadows Public Safety, and Oregon Emergency Management.

The search continues on Friday.