PORTLAND, Ore. -- A climber suffered severe injuries to his face, arm and leg in a 500-foot fall Sunday on Mount Hood, sheriff's deputies said.

The fall knocked the climber unconscious, but when reached by rescue teams, 54-year-old John Creager was in good spirits, according to Detective Jim Strovink, of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.

Creager, who lives in Milwaukie, fell while climbing at the 10,600-foot level of the mountain in the Hogs Back area.

Search and rescue teams took Creager down to Timberline Lodge, where a Black Hawk helicopter from the Army National Guard landed and took him to Oregon Health & Science University hospital in Portland.

The fall was reported at 6:12 a.m. Sunday. Deputies said several climbers in the area rendered aid until search and rescue teams arrived.

Strovink said it was a busy morning on Mount Hood on Sunday, with at least 40 climbers in the process of ascending Mount Hood.

It was the second search and rescue mission of the weekend for authorities. On Saturday morning, a 34-year-old woman climbing Mount Hood was struck by falling ice. She survived and rescue crews helped her off the mountain.

Slideshow: Climber Survives 500-Foot Fall On Mount Hood

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