CASCADE LOCKS, Ore. -- Two hikers missing in deep snow near Mount Defiance in the Columbia River Gorge were spotted by the KGW Sky 8 helicopter.
The helicopter was on a pass over the search area around 2:45 p.m. and relayed information to the search plane.
The hikers, 23-year-old Nicole Dwyer and 24-year-old Steven Hurley, were thought to be on the west slope of the mountain. They had started their hike from the Eagle Creek Trailhead and became confused in the backcountry of the Nick Eaton Trails system, according to Hood River County Sheriff's Office. "Basically the snow at that elevation caught us a little off guard," said Hurley.
Detective Matt English said they were adequately prepared for any possible danger. They had food and water, the appropriate gear, GPS and cell phones, and had left a detailed itenerary of their plans in the event they became lost. Neither was reportedly injured.
Search crews rescued the couple Friday afternoon. They told authorities they had gotten stuck in 4 to 5 feet of snow near Rainy Lake.
The sheriff's office says they were found at about 4,200 feet. Rescue crews used a snow cat to locate them. "The sheriff's department and Crag Rats were extremely professional," said Hurley.
Eagle Creek Trail has seen a flurry of rescue coordination recently; yesterday afternoon, a hiker who'd become lost deep inside the Gorge was rescued after spending Wednesday night in near-freezing conditions, rain and sleet.
