Saturday, October 18, 2008

Mount Adams, Washington

Mount Adams, Washington, originally uploaded by Jason Ferguson.

Derek Mamoyac spent a few more days on Mount Adams than he expected.

PORTLAND, Ore. - A Philomath man who miraculously survived five days on Washington's Mount Adams while injured will likely spend three months off his feet while recovering, his father told KATU News Saturday.

Derek Mamoyac, 27, suffered a broken ankle and other lower leg injuries as well as frostbite on his rear end and toes, said his father, Steve Mamoyac. However, his son, who underwent surgery Saturday at Portland's Legacy Emanuel Hospital, was expected to make a full recovery.

"As tough as he is, he's going to be off his feet for awhile," his father said. "That's going to be tough for him."

Mamoyac summited the 12,277-foot mountain Sunday but apparently lost his footing on the descent and broke his right ankle while tumbling down the mountain. His family reported him missing Monday when he failed to show up for work, and search crews tried for days to find any sign of him.

The climber spent nearly four days trying to drag himself off the mountain, drinking from creeks and eating centipedes and other bugs after running out of food.

A dog from a search and rescue team located him just below the 6,000-foot level at about 2 p.m. Friday.

He kept his head about him and survived.

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