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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Missing Mt. Hood Meadows snowboarder prompts search

Skiers and snowboarders congregate at Mount Hood Meadows Ski Resort on Oregon’s Mount Hood. Search and rescue teams are searching the area for a missing 30-year-old snowboarder. (COURTESY OF JOHN LEMONS)
By Kale Williams Oregonian

Search and rescue teams combed areas of the Mt. Hood Meadows ski resort Wednesday looking for a 30-year-old snowboarder who failed to return after a day on the mountain.

Ryan Mather of Aloha, Oregon, went riding at the resort Tuesday and was last reported at the Shooting Star Express chair lift, which is sometimes used to access backcountry areas of the resort.

Mather’s girlfriend reported him missing about 9:30 p.m., and his vehicle was discovered in the parking lot, according to the Hood River Sheriff’s Office.

Teams searched for Mather overnight but were unsuccessful, the sheriff’s office said.

The ski resort has been hit by heavy snow during the past several days, with at least 20 inches falling in the past 48 hours, which likely resulted in deep powder conditions off of groomed trails. The resort reported only about an inch of new snow since Tuesday morning.

Personnel from more than a half dozen organizations – including the Hood River Crag Rats, Portland Mountain Rescue, Corvallis Mountain Rescue, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon Air National Guard – are helping with the search.