Search operations for a missing climber on Mt. Hood were paused on Sunday due to worsening weather and hazardous conditions. Matthew Aldridge, a 26-year-old man from Bend, became separated from his climbing party while attempting to summit via the Newton Clark Headwall after his two companions turned back. The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office began a search that included ground teams and fixed-wing aircraft after Aldridge was reported overdue, according to KOIN.
Search efforts focused on an area above 8,400 feet near Pea Gravel Ridge after cell phone data indicated a possible fall. A search attempt last Saturday night was halted due to darkness and unsafe conditions. On Sunday morning, search teams, including Hood River Crag Rats and Portland Mountain Rescue, reached the last known location based on forensic evidence, but Aldridge was not found, as stated by KPTV.
With worsening weather conditions, the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office announced that “the Sheriff’s Office made the difficult decision at midday to withdraw searchers and suspend the ground search for Matthew,” shifting the operation from a rescue to a recovery effort, as mentioned by KOIN. Multiple agencies, including Mt. Hood Meadows and the U.S. Forest Service, assisted in the search, but on Sunday evening authorities said Aldridge was presumed dead. Sergeant Joel Ives stated, “Any further operations will be conducted as a recovery rather than a rescue,” with additional efforts dependent on weather and safety conditions, as per OregonLive.
