Lost Snowboarder Found on Mt. Hood
In case you haven’t heard, Curtis Lawrence Dahl is okay.
The 29-year-old Tacoma resident was snowboarding on Mt. Hood with a friend on Saturday, May 1, when he went missing. Dahl was reported lost around 5 p.m. on Saturday and was not discovered until 9:30 a.m. the following morning. Despite the night he spent on the mountain, Dahl discovered in good condition.
Though dressed for the elements, Dahl did not have any communication or electronic devices with him at the time he went missing. With his cell phone locked in a vehicle at Timberline Lodge and no flashlight or emergency lantern to use, Dahl was left in the dark on Mt. Hood as soon as the sun set. A number of rescue agencies worked to find him, including Benton County, Portland Mountain Rescue, Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue, Hood River Crag Rats, Mountain Wave Communications and the American Medical Response.
Dahl’s story is an inspiring and cautionary tale of the potential dangers the great outdoors can pose. Even experienced skiers, snowboarders and hikers should carry some sort of emergency LED light at all times, if not a cell phone or other communications device. Pocket LED torches are a great way to light your path or signal for help should you lose your way on the mountain.
