Mount Hood Climbers

Sadly, one of the missing Mount Hood climbers, Kelly James, was found dead in a snow cave yesterday.

HOOD RIVER, Ore. -- Two climbers missing on Mount Hood may have fallen on a steep slope on their way down Oregon's highest mountain, authorities said Monday as the search resumed on a clear day and a team prepared to retrieve the body of a third climber found dead in a snow cave.

Air crews will survey the area because avalanche conditions make it unsafe for ground crews to head through a treacherous side of the mountain known as "the gullies," where climbers have fallen in the past, said Sheriff Joe Wampler.

The body of Kelly James, 48, of Dallas was found in one of two snow caves that the climbers hacked into the side of the mountain. Searchers found the cave Sunday near the area located by signals from the cell phone James used to place a four-minute distress call to relatives a little more than a week ago.

His brother, Frank James, told reporters that a ring found on the body confirmed the identity.

"This is a difficult day for all three families," he said choking back tears. "I feel that I have two other brothers still on the mountain."

The worst fears of the James family have been realized.

My prayers go out to them.

Also in my prayers are the families of Brian Hall and Jerry Cooke, the two other climbers.

Please understand that I feel nothing but compassion for them as they go through this ordeal.

That said, I don't know why this is such a big national story.

I don't mean to diminish the significance of the missing climbers to their families and friends. It's the world to them.

Of course, locally, I'd expect it to receive a lot of media attention; but I don't get why the national media are obsessed with the search.

They've latched onto it as if they're giving installments of a made-for-TV drama. In a way, it seems that the media are exploiting the agony of the James, Hall, and Cooke families.

In the time since the three climbers went missing, how many other people around the country have disappeared?

How many other families are praying for the safe return of their loved ones?

We don't hear about them. Their families need our prayers, too.