In a tragic turn of events, a college student met his untimely death while attempting to climb an Oregon mountain. Joel Tranby, an Oregon State University student, was scaling the North Sister peak in the Cascade Mountains with his girlfriend when he fell an estimated 300 to 500 feet, sustaining life-threatening injuries.
Despite his girlfriend’s frantic call for help, Tranby’s exact location remained unknown. Sgt. Tom Speldrich of the Lane County Sheriff’s Office reported that Tranby became unresponsive before the rescue team could reach him.
The search and rescue team employed drone technology to locate Tranby’s body. The 21-year-old was spotted from a helicopter on Thursday morning. The sheriff’s office noted that the treacherous terrain made it impossible to reach Tranby on foot. Expert climbers were consulted to assess the possibility of a safe recovery mission.
The rescue operation involved a variety of resources, including a Blackhawk helicopter from the Oregon National Guard, mountain rescue teams, a high-resolution camera, and a drone. The sheriff’s office expressed their deep sorrow over the tragic incident and extended their condolences to Tranby’s family and friends.
North Sister, a peak standing over 10,000 feet, is notorious for its challenging climb due to the loose volcanic rock and limited places to anchor ropes. April Tranby, Joel’s mother, shared the heartbreaking news of her son’s passing on Facebook and expressed her gratitude to the rescue team.
Joel Tranby, a lover of the outdoors and a prominent figure in his local community in Bend, was also a coach for his former high school’s Nordic Ski Team. His parents, in a statement, shared that their son died doing what he loved, in the outdoors, with the person he loved.