Dangerous weather strands hiker above waterfall on Oregon’s tallest mountain
Heavy rain and thick clouds caused the hiker to lose his way on Mount Hood before worsening conditions slowed an overnight rescue.
A Saint Paul police drone located a child struggling in a pond on Sept. 7, giving responding officers critical information before they arrived and pulled the child to safety.
A hiker became stranded above a waterfall on Mount Hood after deteriorating weather caused him to lose his way, setting off an overnight rescue that stretched into the following day.
The incident began Saturday, Sept. 5, after the hiker climbed about 4,000 feet from Timberline Lodge toward the upper mountain. Mount Hood, the tallest mountain in Oregon, rises to 11,249 feet and is a popular destination for hikers and climbers.
"He veered off course on his descent due to incoming clouds, decreasing visibility, and heavy rain, and became stranded at the top of a waterfall," the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said in a press release.
The hiker was uninjured, but he was wet, cold and unable to safely navigate the complex terrain.
Rescuers ascending Mount Hood to assist a lost hiker on Sept. 5, 2026. (Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office and Portland Mountain Rescue)
Search and rescue teams were activated Saturday evening, with volunteers from Portland Mountain Rescue and Clackamas County Search and Rescue arriving at a command post at Timberline Lodge around 4 a.m. Sunday.
Rescuers located and reached the stranded hiker at approximately 9 a.m., but getting him off the mountain proved more difficult.
Near-freezing temperatures, low visibility, heavy rain, high winds and snowfall combined with steep terrain to delay the extraction while additional personnel and resources made their way to the area.
Rescuers on Mount Hood to assist a lost hiker on Sept. 5, 2026. (Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office and Portland Mountain Rescue)
Once more rescuers arrived, teams escorted the hiker up the canyon before beginning the long trip back down the mountain. He eventually reached Timberline Lodge around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, nearly 20 hours after authorities were first notified that he was stranded, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.
The incident was a reminder of how quickly hikers can become disoriented on Mount Hood when weather conditions deteriorate. Backcountry travelers are encouraged to carry a GPS and check their location frequently when traveling through unfamiliar terrain.
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