This is a true story about a miraculous aerial rescue on this mountain, Mt. Rainier, in Washington State. Nearly every year, at least one mountain climber dies climbing this mountain. Occasionally, a climber or hiker simply disappears and is never seen again.
One day, a group of mountain climbers found themselves in dire trouble on Mt. Rainier. Some of them had fallen and one had a broken leg. It was cold, cloudy and a critical situation. Helicopters and planes had been directed to the accident site, but they could not land because of a solid cloud cover.
The climbers could hear the helicopters and planes, but couldn't see them. It would be dark soon and one or more of them would die if they were left on the mountain overnight. They decided to pray. As their prayers became more fervent and the seriousness of their situation increased their fear grew. They prayed and prayed believing that death was inevitable in their small group.
The pilots of the aircraft were in a horrible condition. They had the means to rescue these climbers, they knew exactly where the climbers were, but all they could do was circle the accident site and hope the clouds would clear out a little. They knew that it would be dark soon, nobody on the ground was near the climbing party and a ground rescue couldn't take place until the next day, if then. They talked from aircraft to aircraft and to ground rescuers, but there was no hope at all they could get down to the injured climbers.
As the climbers prayed and the noises of helicopters and planes droned on overhead a light rain began to fall. Soon, over their little prayer group, a circle appeared in the clouds as the rain slowed and stopped. Above their heads, a perfect circle of blue sky appeared. Immediately, a helicopter dropped through the hole.
As the rescue copter carried them back up through the hole in the clouds, it began to close in. Soon, from above the clouds, they watched the hole disappear. They were completely awestruck.
This is a true story.
As the rescue pilots tried to figure out how to get down to the climbers, a DC2, NO!! NOT A DC3!! I SAID A DC2!! Yes, a DC2 was being flown in the area doing an experiment for the University of Washington, GO HUSKIES!! The experiment involved dispensing chemicals into the air. In fact, the State of Idaho sued the State of Washington over projects like this.
Oh yeah, the rest of the story. As the DC2 pilot headed towards his research area, he listened to the rescue pilots trying to figure out how to get down through the clouds. After a little bit of listening to the rescue pilots, he butted in with "Do you guys need a hole in the clouds?"
Getting an answer in the affirmative, he asked where they wanted the hole. Soon, he was circling above the injured climbers dispensing his chemicals. Voila!, a perfect hole developed in the clouds, the rescue copter went in, came out and the hole closed in. What a coincidence (?) that the University of Washington's DC2 would be doing cloud seeding experiments at just the right time and place to punch a hole in the clouds for the rescue as the injured party prayed for a miracle.
Oh, by the way. The State of Idaho sued the State of Washington claiming that seeding the clouds in Washington was stealing Idaho's rainwater. Idaho lost.
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