PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The body of a climber who died on Mount Hood in March was recovered Saturday once rescuers saw there was adequate melt in the area to complete the mission.
Pradnya Mohite and Lei Wang were trying to summit Mt. Hood on March 9, 2022 when both fell near the Leuthold Couloir, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said. Wang, 50, was critically injured in the fall that killed the 34-year-old Mohite.
The area where they fell is, officials said, “a long steep avalanche chute” that created extremely difficult conditions that prevented the recovery of Mohite’s body until now.
On Thursday, rescuers saw conditions were improved enough to try the recovery. On Saturday, a helicopter crew from JL Aviation placed 3 rescuers from Portland Mountain Rescue and Volcano Mountain Rescue at the exact spot where the fallen hiker’s body was.
The rescuers first put her body on the helicopter, which then took her body to the White River Snow Park. The helicopter then went back to get the rescue crew, while the backup crews descended on their own.