A morning on the slopes at Mt. Hood Ski Bowl East turned into a rescue operation on Thursday after a chairlift malfunction left two people injured and stranded in rugged terrain. Fire crews and rescue teams scrambled up steep mountainside to reach the victims, who were eventually airlifted to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland.
According to Hoodland Fire District, crews were dispatched around 9:35 a.m. after reports that a lift malfunction caused individuals to fall. What followed was not a simple on-the-road response. Teams rolled out specialized gear, including all-terrain vehicles and air medical resources, to locate, stabilize, and move the injured skiers off the mountain.
Multiple agencies responded to the call, including Clackamas Fire, American Medical Response, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Forest Service, Life Flight, and Mt. Hood Ski Bowl personnel. Officials told KATU that the cause of the malfunction is under investigation, and they expect to release more information once they know what went wrong.
Rescue in Rugged Terrain
Access to Ski Bowl East is tricky even on a good day. Steep slopes and limited vehicle access meant rescuers could not simply drive up to the scene, so crews relied heavily on off-road apparatus and air support throughout the incident.
The Hoodland Fire District details the kind of mountain-ready stations and equipment it maintains for exactly these types of calls, where terrain can be as much of an obstacle as the emergency itself. Broader industry data from the NSAA indicates that mechanical lift failures are far less common than many other transportation risks, which is small comfort on a day when something on the hill clearly went sideways.
Investigation Underway
Officials say the incident remains active as investigators work to sort out exactly what happened on the lift. As of Thursday afternoon, authorities had not released the names or updated conditions of the two injured people, according to KATU.
Both rescuers and the ski area are expected to share more details once the investigation progresses, and we will update this report when that information becomes available.
