Dec 20, 2006 11:06 am US/Central
Mt. Hood Rescuer Returns Home To Dallas
by Brooke Richie
DFW Airport (CBS 11 News) ―
-
-
In this photo made available by family friend and media facilitator Jessica Nunez, Brian Hall is shown from February 2006 in Dallas. Hall is one of three climbers missing on Mount Hood since Sunday, Dec. 10, 2006. (AP Photo/Christopher Ford)
Christopher Ford/AP
The missing climbers triggered a massive rescue effort. Some of the searchers are friends from Dallas who felt compelled to help, and Tuesday one of them returned home.
It was a secret search team - a group of six men with little climbing experience, but a lot of heart and motivation. Even after the sad discovery of Kelly James' body, they kept looking for the other two missing climbers, Brian Hall and Jerry Cooke.
"We had an expert guide from a New Mexico mountain rescue crew, that was our guide to help with avalanches and stuff," said rescuer Andy McElroy.
"Brian's just a guy of peace, of honor, of integrity," McElroy says.
McElroy and the others know Hall from Performance Playground in Dallas, where he works. They wanted to be the ones to find their friend and his fellow climbers.
"Everyone did," he said. "Every rescuer thought they would and wanted to."
So they rented snow shoes and bought jackets and climbing equipment. They scoured the southeast side of Mount Hood - and began to appreciate its allure.
"Getting up there, you see how beautiful it is. How peaceful it is."
And treacherous. As the days wore on and the news grew worse, McElroy's hope began to wane.
"Every rescuer 's different. Every rescuer goes from the rescue mode to a recovery mode at different times," McElroy said. "After Sunday, I personally went to recovery mode."
His journey began with optimism and ended in disappointment.
"I mean, we went up there to bring him home alive. And now we're not even bringing him home."
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
