FAN FAVORITE: Trapped on Mt. Hood | Considered Lost | 2

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0:23Ralph Summers grips his shovel and scrapes away at the ice above his head. It's the evening of May 12, 1986. Summers has been on his knees for about 90 minutes now, carving out a cave in the snow high up on Mount Hood. Summers quickens his pace as he listens to the blizzard raging outside. If he constructs the cave properly, it will serve as shelter for 13 stranded climbers, including himself. The muscles on his face are numb with cold. His forearms ache, but still, he keeps hacking away. He pauses for a moment to review his progress. The icy, white cave interior is roughly six feet long, eight feet wide, and four feet tall from floor to ceiling.

1:15Smaller than a four-person tent. He'd like to make it bigger, but there's not enough time. He has to get the other climbers out of the storm and into the cave as soon as possible. Some of them are already showing signs of hypothermia. The cave is small, but it should be big enough if everyone squeezes close together. Summers puts his flashlight between his teeth and crawls out of the cave into the blizzard. As he rises to his feet, he's nearly knocked over by a gust of frigid wind. He shines his flashlight at the 12 people who have been waiting for him, huddled together under a snow-covered tarp.

1:57The cave is ready. One at a time, students get in first. And hurry, let's go! The climbing group is comprised of 10 students from a local high school who are taking part in a wilderness program, and two adult faculty members. Summers watches them crawl into the snow cave, one by one. To enter, they have to squeeze through a narrow tunnel, which Summers kept small to prevent wind and snow from blowing into the inner chamber. He sees the kids' shoulders trembling beneath their parkas. He hopes they'll warm up once they're out of the wind. Summers is serving as their climbing consultant. His job was simple.

2:40Accompany the group as they ascended Mount Hood, give them technical climbing advice when required, and administer first aid if needed. But five hours ago, his assignment became much more complicated. A massive storm hit the mountain, blasting the climbers with high winds and thick flurries of snow. The climbers attempted to retreat, but with visibility reduced to a few feet, they quickly got lost. Now, they're stuck here, high on the mountain, somewhere on the south side of Mount Hood. Summers turns to the teacher in charge of the climbing party, Father Tom Gohman, who helped him dig the cave.

3:21Is everyone inside now? Everyone except Pat.

3:25Father Tom Goman:He needs help. Can you bring him over? Summers nods and walks over to the tarp, which flaps loudly in the wind. It's covering the climbers' cache of supplies. And it's also providing temporary shelter for Patrick McGinnis, a student who's suffering from hypothermia. Patrick has been bundled up inside his sleeping bag underneath the tarp trying to stay warm while Summers and Goeman dug out the cave Summers calls out as he approaches the tarp The cave's ready, Pat. Let's go But there's no answer Hey, Pat, you all right? Wake up Summers grasps the edge of the tarp and lifts it up And then his stomach drops Patrick isn't there Summers whips his flashlight from left to right but the snow is coming down so hard he can't see more than a few feet in any direction Pat?

4:22Pat! Summers' heart pounds He has no idea how or why Patrick has disappeared but at this high altitude in the middle of a menacing storm Summers knows he has to find him within minutes If he doesn't Patrick is doomed.

5:09Father Tom Goman:Your football fix starts here with the personalities and challenges that define a championship team. Bonds will be built. Bloopers will be captured. Hard Knocks Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on HBO Max. Honey, did you invite the Minions over? Well, you know how we talked about getting Wi-Fi from Xfinity? Yeah. I ordered it this morning. It was online in minutes. Then they showed up. So they just came over to use the Wi-Fi? For what? Better not to know. Get online in minutes with same-day Wi-Fi from Xfinity. Plus, lock in your price for five years and see Minions and Monsters only in theaters.

5:49Xfinity. Imagine that. Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Learn more at Xfinity.com slash same-day Wi-Fi.

5:59From Wondery, I'm Cassie DePeckel, and this is Against the Odds.

6:12On May 12, 1986, a group of high school students from Oregon Episcopal School in Portland set out to climb Mount Hood, the tallest mountain in the state. Their plan was to reach the summit and return before a storm was forecasted to roll in. But the climb took longer than expected, and when the storm hit, they were trapped high on the mountain in white-out conditions, unable to descend to safety. To survive, they had to take shelter in a tiny cave carved into the snow and await rescue. But as the storm raged on, it was unclear when or if help would come. This is Episode 2, Considered Lost.

7:11High school junior Mick Garrett nervously paces the length of the school bus that's supposed to take him and his classmates home from Mount Hood. Outside, in the darkness, the wind howls. He calls out to the bus driver. What time is it? 8.45. 8.45? They should have been back three hours ago. It's been nearly nine hours since Mick arrived here at Timberline Lodge after turning back from the climb to summit Mount Hood. With him on the bus are three other students who also turned back early after the climb proved to be far more strenuous than any of them expected. Mick peers out a window. The storm outside is frightening.

7:56A swirling stew of wind, snow, and ice. If his classmates are still up on that mountain, then they are in serious trouble. Mick takes a seat close to the other students. We've got to do something. They might be trapped up there. A student named Courtney Boatsman rises to her feet and turns to the group. I could ask the bus driver if he'll walk over to the lodge with me. We can find the people in charge and tell them what's going on. Okay? Okay. Okay. That sounds like a good plan.

8:32Mick watches Courtney exit the bus along with the driver and cross the parking lot to the lodge. He looks down at the scuffed floor, then closes his eyes. He wants to believe that Father Tom and the others will be back soon. But something in his heart tells him that the time for optimism has passed. This is going to be a long night.

9:02Ralph Summers stands outside the snow cave, scanning the darkness with his flashlight. But all he sees are snow flurries, endless white in every direction. Patrick! Patrick! Summers is growing frantic. Patrick! Patrick McGinnis has been missing for at least 15 minutes now. Patrick! Summers tucks his flashlight under his arm and cups his mouth with his hands. Patrick! Ralph! Pat? Pat, I'm coming! Summers hurries in the direction of the voice. He arrives back at the tarp where Pat was resting earlier and where the group's supplies are being kept. Ralph! Summers turns in the direction of the voice.

9:49Just beyond the tarp, the mountainside drops away sharply down a steep slope. He shines his flashlight downward and sees Pat. Pat is lying face down, several yards down the slope. Behind him is a pitch black void. If he falls or slides further down, he's a goner. Summers gets on his stomach and leans over the edge of the slope. He slams his ice axe into the ground near Pat. Grab the handle! Pat reaches up and grabs hold of the axe. Slowly, he crawls up the slope until Summers is able to reach down and grab him under his arms. Summers pulls with all of his might and hoists Pat up over the edge to safety.

10:40They collapse to the ground and lie still as they catch their breath. Pat lifts his head. I saw everyone going to the cave, so I got up to follow them. But I guess I got turned around in the dark. Next thing I know, I'm sliding down the side of a mountain. It's okay, Pat. I'm just glad I found you. Summers musters the strength to stand, then pulls Pat to his feet and leads him to the snow cave opening. He makes sure Pat's in safely, then climbs in behind him. Finally, they've all got shelter. Now, they just have to wait for the storm to subside.

11:31High school senior Molly Shula gazes up at the white-domed ceiling of the snow cave, just a couple of feet above her head. The dark cave is illuminated by splashes of light emanating from the flashlights of her classmates. Molly can barely move. Two people are lying on top of her, though she's not sure who exactly. The cave is a tangle of limbs and bodies. As soon as Patrick McGinnis and Ralph Summers entered the cave, it became clear that they couldn't all comfortably fit at once. So for the past hour, they've taken turns crawling back outside to free up room. They rotate three at a time every 20 minutes.

12:19Molly tries to shift into a less awkward position. She's lying on her back in a thin layer of cold water created by the snow and ice melted by their collective body heat. She'd like to switch with one of the kids on top of her, but she can't get out from under them. Suddenly, she hears a noise at the cave entrance. She lifts her head and sees father Tom Goeman shaking violently as he crawls into the cave. His wool cap is gone, and his head is coated in frost. He's very pale and his lips are blue. Molly realizes that he was one of the first people to leave the cave, and he's only just now returning.

13:03He's obviously spent way too much time outside in the storm. Molly's eyes well up. She's always admired Father Tom for his kindness, sense of humor, and love for the outdoors. It meant a lot to her when he selected her for the base camp advanced climbing team. It's an emotional gut punch to see him suffering like this. Are you okay, Father Tom? All she can hear is the sound of Father Tom's teeth chattering. He is too cold to speak. She turns to Ralph Summers. He needs help. Let's drape your sleeping bag over him. Got it, and we need to keep his head warm. Any extra hats back there? A classmate behind Molly hands her a wool cap.

13:50She puts it on Father Tom's head. Others shift their bodies so Goman has more space to lie down. Molly wraps the sleeping bag around him like a blanket. He looks up at Molly and manages to flash a smile before his teeth start chattering again. Thanks, Molly. I feel better now. Molly nods, but she's not convinced that he's telling the truth. His whole face is now a bluish color, and he can't stop shivering. Molly can feel herself growing increasingly desperate. She wishes she could leave the cave to find help, but it would be suicidal to follow through on that impulse with the blizzard as bad as it is.

14:37She lowers herself to the cave floor once again and stares up at the ceiling of snow. The wind outside howls louder than ever

14:54Frank McGinnis blinks several times As he wakes up on his worn, gray living room futon The lights are on And it takes him a few seconds to adjust his eyes He checks his watch 9.58pm He must have dozed off He's been anxious all night His son Patrick was supposed to be back from climbing Mount Hood by now, but he isn't, and now it's raining. The weather might be even worse up on the mountain. It's been two and a half hours since someone from the school called to tell Frank that the climbers were running behind schedule. He decided to wait by the phone until he got another update. He nearly gasps with relief.

15:38It must be the school calling to report that Pat and the other students have finally made it down the mountain. He picks up the phone. Hello? Are you with the school? Frank waits as the woman clears her throat. Uh, yes. Yes. Good evening, Mr. McGinnis. Can I go pick up Patrick now? Uh, look, Mr. McGinnis, the weather, it's really bad, and the climbing party has not returned yet. I'm afraid that at this point, they're considered lost on the mountain. We've notified the Clackamas County Sheriff's Department. Frank's mouth goes dry. He wants to believe he misheard her, but he didn't. We'll be in touch as soon as we have more information.

16:26Sorry to be bearing bad news. Frank clutches the phone tightly He tries to make sense of those words Lost on the mountain He can barely breathe As he imagines his son Wandering the slopes of the state's tallest peak Frightened Cold And lost

17:27The End Harder listens as Wright explains about the student climbing group lost on Mount Hood and the storm that is currently pummeling the mountain. As Harder listens, he rummages through the closet for his survival gear. It sounds like conditions on Mount Hood are deadly. This might be the most daunting mission he's undertaken since Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980. Harder is a relative newcomer to Portland Mountain Rescue, but he's a veteran of several search and rescue organizations. He's also a paramedic with the Portland Fire Department and a para-rescue jumper for the U.S. Air Force. Helping people is what he lives for.

18:12In the local search and rescue community, Harder is known as the bagger. That's because in his first 25 rescue missions, he recovered 24 bodies. The nickname is a term of endearment. not an insult. Other rescue specialists respect that Harder is always willing to tackle the hardest and most emotionally taxing crisis work. Harder checks the contents of his medical bag as he cradles the phone against his ear. I'm on my way, Barry. You said Timberline Lodge, correct? That's right. We'll set up a command post there and start sending teams up the mountain as soon as possible. Sounds good. See you there.

18:52Harder hangs up and grabs his heaviest parka. According to Wright, this storm is unlikely to lift for at least a day. He's going to need all the layers of protection he can bring.

19:14Molly Shula can't tell if her eyes are open or closed. It's so dark inside the snow cave that all she can see is blackness. They've turned off all the flashlights to conserve batteries. Outside, the wind howls. The storm hasn't let up all night. She's lying on her stomach on the floor of the cave. It's wet. All the body heat inside the cave is continuing to melt the icy walls, causing frigid water to pool around her. She suddenly feels desperate to move, to find someplace dry. But when she tries to change position, she can't. Her legs won't move. She realizes that she can't feel her legs at all.

20:08She calls out to whoever will listen. Hey, hey, hey guys, I need help. I can't move my legs. Molly hears Father Tom's voice in the darkness. Hey, everyone, wake up. There might be something wrong with Molly's legs. Molly's anxiety spikes when she hears that. She's suddenly very aware of how small the cave is. How many bodies are pressed right up against hers. She begins to hyperventilate. Oh my God, what's wrong? Is it frostbite? A few flashlights switch on at once. Molly can feel tears running down her cheeks as she tries to force her legs to move. They won't. She watches as Ralph Summers crawls towards her.

20:58Hey, Molly, calm down. Your legs just fell asleep. Someone must have been sleeping on top of them. Give it a minute, all right? The feeling will return. Take slow, deep breaths. In and out. Molly breathes as deeply as she can. She starts to feel a prickling sensation in her legs. It feels like thousands of warm needles being pressed into her skin. She takes another deep breath. She tries to move her legs again. And this time, they respond. Um, I'm okay. Thanks, Ralph. No problem, Molly. Glad you're doing better. Summers turns toward the tunnel that leads outside. In the glow of someone's flashlight, Molly can see that he looks concerned.

21:50We need to clear the cave opening. The storm is blowing a lot of snow into the tunnel. It's half the size it was before. A student next to the tunnel picks up a nearby snow shovel.

22:01Father Tom Goman:I'll take care of it, Ralph. The student crawls through the tunnel. Once outside, he begins shoveling the snow from the cave mouth. Molly continues to take deep breaths for the next several minutes. Her legs feel normal again. But then she hears someone scream. Everyone points their flashlights at the cave entrance. The teen who is outside crawls back into the cave, his eyes wide with fear. The shovel. I lost it. The wind tore it right out of my hands. Molly swallows hard. That was their only snow shovel. She knows from her wilderness training that without it, they'll have a hard time keeping the snow cave entrance clear.

22:48The storm will continue to blow fresh snow into the entrance, and that snow will harden into ice. They can still use their axes to chip away at the ice, but axes are no substitute for a shovel. And the way this storm is still raging, Molly knows there's now a chance they could be sealed inside the cramped and freezing cave. And if that happens, they could all suffocate.

23:23Rick Carter follows a sheriff's deputy down a carpeted hallway in Timberline Lodge. He's just arrived and wants to interview the four students who left the climb early and reported the group missing. He needs to get solid intel from them before the search can start. They stop outside the door to a guest room. Harder checks his watch. It's 3.45 a.m. The climbing party has been missing for almost 10 hours. The deputy knocks. Then knocks again. Louder. A teenage girl pulls the door open, squinting her eyes. A slightly older-looking boy stands next to her. Sorry to wake you, but I need to talk to you.

24:08I'm Rick Harder with Portland Mountain Rescue. I'm Courtney Boatsman, and this is Mick Garrett. Courtney tells him that the other two students aren't feeling well and should sleep. So she steps out into the hall, waving for Mick to follow her. They step around a corner, and Harder begins the interview. Okay, Courtney, can you tell me the last known position of the missing climbers? I mean, we left early, so I'm not sure. But we were taking the south side route, a Palmer snowfield. What did everyone have on? Normal climbing gear, parkas, helmets, gloves. Yes, everyone was properly dressed for the climb and had all the right tools.

24:51Rope, ice axes. There was a snow shovel, I think. Harder continues grilling the two teens, but they don't know much. Both left the climb very early, hours before the other climbers were reported missing. That means they could be almost anywhere in the massive area between Palmer Snowfield and the summit. Harder thanks the teenagers, then hustles back down the hallway towards the lodge's ski patrol office, which has been turned into a search and rescue command center. Despite the bad weather, he hopes he can get a team assembled and get up the mountain soon. They're going to have to cover a very large search area as quickly as possible.

25:40Patrick McGinnis lies on his back in the snow cave's access tunnel, kicking a mound of snow as hard as he can. The storm is blowing snow drifts into the cave entrance that are freezing into ice and threatening to seal the cave shut. Pat's legs are cold and sore, but he keeps kicking. He knows that every kick is a chance to save all their lives. But Pat can feel his energy flagging. He's felt better since he got inside the cave, but he's still lightheaded from hypothermia. As he aims another kick at the wall, a pain in his right leg is suddenly unbearable. He's also completely winded. He tries to inhale, but can't catch his breath.

26:30He wonders if they're already starting to suffocate inside the cramped cave. Pat pulls his aching legs back in from the tunnel. He reaches down to adjust his socks, making sure no snowmelt is seeping under them. His dad bought him the socks at REI just two days ago. They're made of polypropylene to help keep his feet warm and dry. They were expensive, but Pat's dad insisted on buying them. When he handed Pat the socks, Pat told his dad that he loved him. Now he wonders if he'll ever be able to say those words to his father again. He hears the sound of falling ice behind him and turns around. Some of his classmates are passing an ice axe around and using it to poke breathing holes in the roof of the cave.