Volcano Rescue Team locates injured climber

A climber was in good condition after he was found by rescuers late Tuesday night on a main route of Mount St. Helens.

Fifteen volunteers with the Volcano Rescue Team late Tuesday night ascended the mountain's south face to look for the injured climber. They found him at about 10:45 p.m., and it took several more hours to escort him down the mountain, said Bryan Leake, operations officer for North Country Emergency Medical Services, based in Yacolt.

Upon reaching the parking lot of Climbers Bivouac, the climber declined an ambulance ride for a knee injury and slept the rest of the night in his car, said Skamania County Undersheriff Dave Cox. Rescuers did wrap his knee.

The man's name wasn't immediately available.

At about 8 p.m. Tuesday, another climber came across the injured man around the 6,000-foot level on the main climbing route.

Late Tuesday, the searchers climbed through snow and volcanic rock at 4,800 feet before they reached the man.

Coincidentally, the team had scheduled training Tuesday night, but ended up working a real rescue.

The search operation was run by the Skamania County Sheriff's Office, Leake said.

John Branton: 360-735-4513 or john.branton@columbian.com.