Columbia River Gorge Stranded Hiker Rescued By Deputies, Crag Rats

GRESHAM, OR — A 51-year-old man is safe at home after being rescued from a cliff along the Columbia River Gorge Monday evening, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office. He had been stranded there since Sunday, the sheriff's office said.

The rescuers had found the man by Munra Point, a tough to reach place not far from Cascade Locks, according to the sheriff's office, awhich added that it rises about 2,000 feet over a 2-mile stretch.

The sheriff's office, which has not released the man's name, said that while he had been suffering from a mild case of hypothermia, he was in good condition, able to talk and walk. There was no need to take him to a hospital.

The sheriff said that the man told rescuers that he had gone hiking Sunday and, after a few hours, had lost sight of the trail and become disoriented. The man said that he had started moving down a steep hill and then found himself trapped by steep cliffs.

The man had been wearing flip flops but they came off as he had made his way down the hillside, the sheriff's office said. And then the man's cell phone died.

The man then decided to shelter in place and lit a fire.

In the morning, a worker at the Bonneville Dam spotted a puff of smoke from a cliff, according to the sheriff's office. The employee is a member of the Hood River Crag Rats, a group of specially-trained search and rescue hikers.

The worker got a spotter scope, saw that there was a hiker who appeared to be trapped and notified the sheriff's office.

The rescue teams climbed through rainy and cold conditions to reach the hiker, the sheriff's office said.

That was the second rescue in 24 hours, the sheriff's office said. In the other one, a 25-year-old hiker was rescued from Larch Mountain in Corbett.

The office said that the two rescues are a good reminder for all hikers to remember to bring what they call the "ten essentials for hiking:"

• A navigation aid such as a map, compass, altimeter, GPS device, personal locator beacon, or satellite communicator.
• A headlamp or flashlight with extra batteries.
• Sunglasses and other sun protection items such as sunscreen and sun-protective clothes.
• First aid items including insect repellent and foot care.
• A knife and gear repair kit.
• Something with which to start a fire such as matches, a lighter and tinder.
• Some short of shelter like an emergency bivvy.
• Extra food.
• Extra water.
• Extra clothes.