Stuck, injured snowmobilers rescued after avalanche on Mt. St. Helens
PORTLAND, Ore. () — After an avalanche on Mt. St. Helens left one snowmobiler stuck and another injured, a fellow snowmobiler managed to aid them before calling in a rescue group on Monday.
'Just before 2 PM, three snowmobilers were riding above tree line when two of their machines got stuck in deep snow,' according to a by .
Charges dismissed against Portland State protesters
Fog reduced visibility while they were trying to get free, after which an avalanche was triggered on their ride out, the rescue group said.
'As they were accelerating out of being stuck, both riders accidentally drove off a cornice into Shoestring Gully , free-falling 20-30 feet into a 100′ deep canyon,' Volcano Rescue Team added. 'The first rider's impact triggered an avalanche which propagated over 100 yards across the gully.'
One of the riders got stuck in snow and another fell hard onto a snowpack and couldn't move due to a leg injury. The third snowmobiler then arrived, freed the buried rider and tended to the person with the injured leg 'before riding to a location with cell service to call for help.'
A rescue effort coordinated by the Skamania County Sheriff's Office commenced, then Volcano Rescue Team responded.
'Rescuers packaged the injured rider, utilized a rope system to lower him to the gully floor and transported him via a snowmobile sled to Marble Mountain Sno-Park, where North Country EMS was waiting to take him to the hospital,' the rescue group said.
Wyden concerned over DOGE access to Social Security
A spokesperson for Volcano Rescue Team said that on the day of the accident, the avalanche risk was rated as 'considerable,' illustrating the dangers of backcountry snowmobiling in poor visibility.
'We're grateful for a positive outcome but urge users to obtain avalanche training, carry avalanche rescue gear, check conditions before going out, and make informed decisions in the field,' the spokesperson said.
Volcano Rescue Team is all-volunteer and was formed in 1986, according to its website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Oregon poised to join most other states allowing governor to appoint vacant U.S. Senate seats
Oregon is one of four states that leaves a Senate vacancy unfilled until a special election is held. A bill that's passed the state House and Senate would change that. Shown is the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 9, 2024. (Photo by Jane Norman/States Newsroom) A bill allowing Oregon's governor to appoint a U.S. senator for the state in the event of an unexpected vacancy is now a governor's signature away from becoming law. In a 31-24 vote, lawmakers in the Oregon House Tuesday passed Senate Bill 952. The legislation would give Gov. Tina Kotek, and any future Oregon governor, the authority to appoint someone from the same political party as the outgoing senator within 30 days of their passing away, stepping down or otherwise being unable to serve in their position. The appointment would expire whenever the former senator's term ends or if a successor is elected, whichever comes first. The legislation would end Oregon's status as one of four states in which vacancies are left unfilled until special elections, without appointments from the governor. Senate Bill 952 passed in the Oregon Senate in April in a 16-13 vote along party lines, with one dissenting Democrat, along with amendments that mandate a special election be set within 150 days following a vacancy. Oregon lawmakers considered a similar effort in 2022 but failed to pass that attempt out of the Legislature. 'This is not a partisan issue,' said Rep. Hai Pham, D-Hillsboro, while introducing the bill Tuesday on the House floor. 'It's about making sure our state isn't left on the sidelines when the stakes are high.' Oregon Republicans, however, saw the measure as further entrenching power with Democrats and party insiders. Several spoke up on the House floor and said the process should be left up to voters. 'If this bill is passed and a senate vacancy arises, the governor can choose someone who has never run for office, never answered to the public, and never stood before voters to earn their trust,' said state Rep. Dwayne Yunker, R-Grants Pass. 'What kind of accountability does that bring? The answer is none.' House Minority Leader and 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee Christine Drazan, R-Canby, told her colleagues that the bill was unnecessary. 'I personally have been through the process of running for statewide office. It is not easy, and it should not be,' she said. 'It is grueling, it is humbling, it is demanding and it is appropriate that it be so.' Well before the state House's vote on Tuesday, Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both Democrats working beyond the standard retirement age of 65, had already signaled approval for the legislation. The two are part of one of the oldest Senates in U.S. history, where the median age of a member is just under 65. Wyden, 76, and Merkley, 68, both sent letters to the state's Senate Rules Committee April 2 encouraging passage of Senate Bill 952. Wyden, who has said he is running for re-election in 2028, wrote that under Oregon's current rules Oregonians, 'would have only half a voice in the U.S. Senate if our state lacked a senator because of death or injury for a prolonged period.' Merkley, who has not announced whether he plans to run for reelection in 2026, echoed Wyden's concerns, writing that waiting for a special election in the event of a vacancy would leave critical work undone. Most states allow their governor to fill a U.S. Senate vacancy by appointment, with the appointee serving until the next regularly scheduled general election. Of the 13 states that require a special election to fill a U.S. Senate vacancy, nine allow the governor to make a temporary appointment. Oregon is one of four states that leaves a vacancy unfilled until a special election, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Yahoo
Wyden aims to bring Oregon's voting model nationwide with Vote at Home Act
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) reintroduced a bill on Friday that could change the way Americans vote across the United States. Initially introduced by Wyden in 2017, the Vote at Home Act would give eligible voters the option to vote by mail (including via drop-off site), provide pre-paid envelopes to return ballots and would automatically register citizens to vote at DMVs. Under the bill, voters who live in states with in-person, same-day voter registration would still have the option to vote at a polling station. Oregon man who set sail with his cat arrives to cheers in Hawaii The Vote at Home Act would also send ballots in the mail weeks ahead of Election Day, while providing funding for the United States Postal Service to cover costs associated with mailing ballots to and from voters. 'With Trump taking over the Oval Office, far-right legislators across our country are more emboldened to make voting more difficult for millions of Americans,' Wyden said in a press release Friday. 'Taking off work to vote in person – often waiting in long lines for hours – isn't an option for so many voters. Voting is a fundamental constitutional right. It should be easy, and bringing the Oregon Way of vote-at-home nationwide will guarantee that every eligible voter can make their voices heard.' Wyden noted the reintroduction of his bill follows passage of the Republican-led Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require voters to prove citizenship when registering to vote. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The SAVE Act was introduced in January by Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX) who says the legislation is necessary to protect against ineligible voters from participating in U.S. elections. 'American elections belong to American citizens, and the public's confidence in those elections is the cornerstone of our republic,' Roy previously said. 'We in Congress have a duty to our fellow citizens to provide that confidence and put concrete enforcement in place to ensure that our elections and our sovereignty cannot be hijacked and influenced by foreign nationals who have no business voting in this country.' Some state officials, including have raised concerns about the SAVE Act. DON'T MISS: How would the SAVE Act impact PNW voters? Proof of citizenship explained This also includes 17 Democratic state attorneys general — including Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield — who sent a letter in early April to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), urging them to oppose the bill. 'This law just makes it harder for people to vote,' Attorney General Rayfield said. 'We can protect the integrity of our elections while still making sure that every legitimate voter has an equal opportunity to cast their ballot without obstacles or discrimination.' In their letter, the attorneys general said cases of non-citizen voting in the U.S. are 'extremely rare,' pointing to several studies and an audit of Georgia's voting rolls by the Secretary of State's office, which found 20 non-citizens registered to vote out of 8.2 million residents and nine of the 20 non-citizens had a record of voting, as reported by the Associated Press. Portland infrastructure at risk due to gradual sinking, study says According to the attorneys general, the bill would also require expensive documentation, such as passports or birth certificates to match voters' current names – which could be difficult for some, including married women, whose legal name no longer matches the name on their birth certificate. 'Over 21 million voting-age citizens do not have ready access to a passport, birth record, or naturalization record,' the coalition wrote. 'And 80% of married women would not have a valid birth certificate under the SAVE Act because those women chose to adopt their partner's last name.' The bill also mandates in-person presentation of the citizenship documents, which effectively eliminates online voter registration systems, which is available in 42 states, the attorneys general argue, noting this could also disenfranchise active-duty service members who cannot return to their local election offices. Alice returns from Wonderland: African crane back at Washington zoo after two-day escape Wyden is joined by several Democratic colleagues backing the bill, including Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass). 'Voting by mail has worked in Oregon for years. It's quick and secure—helping folks in red, blue, and purple states safely make their voices heard in our elections,' Sen. Jeff Merkley said. 'This shouldn't be a partisan issue. Expanding vote by mail nationwide is a secure way to ensure all eligible voters can exercise this constitutional right.' 'Oregon was the first state to enact full vote by mail in 1995, an effort led by both Democratic and Republican Secretaries of State,' said Oregon Congresswoman Val Hoyle, (D-04), who introduced the House companion of the Vote at Home Act earlier this year. 'We have seen the positive impact that mail in voting has had in Oregon – not only does it improve access for eligible voters, but every ballot has a paper copy making it the most secure form of voting. Voting is a Constitutionally protected right and I'll fight to make sure every eligible voter can make their voice heard. I am proud to introduce legislation with Senator Wyden that does exactly that.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Yahoo
Snowmobiler plunges into deep canyon and triggers avalanche, Washington rescuers say
A snowmobiler plunged into a deep canyon, triggering an avalanche on a Washington mountain, rescuers said. The snowmobiler was riding with other people on Feb. 17 when two of them got stuck in deep snow on Mount Saint Helens, rescuers said. They decided to go home once freeing themselves because it started getting foggy on the mountain, the Volcano Rescue Team said in a Feb. 21 Facebook post. The two riders then accidentally drove off a cornice, an overhanging piece of snow, and plunged 20 to 30 feet into a deep canyon, the rescue team said. Rescuers said the first rider went over the ledge and triggered an avalanche that traveled 300 feet down the mountain. He wasn't able to deploy his avalanche airbag, but he 'used a swimming motion with his arms to stay near the surface' of the debris, rescuers said. This rider ended up pinned to his snowmobile. The second snowmobiler followed over the ledge and hit hard snowpack, causing significant injuries to his leg, rescuers said. The third snowmobiler dug out the rider caught in the avalanche and helped the injured rider before calling for help, rescuers said. A team responded to the mountain and used a rope system to get the snowmobiler with the injured leg down the gully so he could get to a hospital. The avalanche risk that day was ranked as 'considerable,' or level three out of five, the rescue team said. At this level, 'avalanche conditions are considered dangerous and careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding, and conservative decision making are essential,' according to Mount Saint Helens is in Skamania County in southwest Washington. Avalanche buries and kills backcountry snowboarder, Colorado officials say Ski patroller swept away by avalanche dies of her injuries, California resort says Friends search for overdue 'expert' skiers and find bodies buried in Oregon avalanche
