Local man rescued on Oregon mountain

Erik Scott Heerlein, 35, of Charleston has been identified as the climber saved Sunday on Mt. Hood in Oregon. Heerlein fell 100 feet during his descent from the peak, suffering leg and head injuries. Oregon Health and Science University Hospital listed him in fair condition as of Monday.

From the Portland Tribune:

Heerlein had reached the summit of Mount Hood on Sunday. As he descended the mountain, he accidentally fell 100 feet in the “Devils Kitchen” area near the 10,000-foot level at approximately 10:20 a.m.

He released the following statement:

"The doctors say my head's gonna be fine, so it looks like I'll walk away from this with nothing more than a banged-up body, a couple of chipped teeth, and a broken leg. But without the quick response of my team members and fellow mountaineers, the Sheriff's office, the American Medical Response Reach & Treat Team, and the Army National Guard Medivac crew -- it would've been much worse. Without the helicopter, moving me from such a steep and isolated spot would've been difficult and might have put other climbers in jeopardy, and it certainly would've meant that I went without hospital care for a much longer period of time. It's no stretch to say that those guys saved my life."