Kelly James' Final Hours

Dec. 19, 2006 — -- Thousands of feet up the frozen side of Oregon's Mount Hood, within a makeshift snow shelter so small it took rescue teams days to locate it, Kelly James spent the final hours of his life in darkness and silence.

James' body was removed by helicopter from the 11,239-foot summit Monday after his body was found over the weekend.

Officials said he had an "obvious" arm injury.

Though autopsy results still have to be released, experts say the mountain's subfreezing temperatures and 80 mph winds brought about hypothermia that likely took the mountain climber's life.

Experts say the end probably came painlessly for the Dallas native, despite the harsh and unforgiving environment.

"The victim will get into sort of a dreamlike state, drifting in and out of consciousness, and they may have visions of random things," said John Sohl, director of search and rescue for Weber County, Utah.

"So the descriptions of people who have been near death and describe their life passing before their eyes is possibly not entirely without basis. … It's kind of a state of bliss," Sohl said.

"The people I've talked to who have survived, the thing they remember most is their awareness of their coldness," said Dr. Don Trunkey, professor of surgery at the Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland.

"But it's not painful. Obviously, dying is not pleasant, because I'm sure some people think about their life and what has gone by. But they are just gradually falling into a coma," Trunkey said.

Hypothermia occurs when the body is unable to maintain normal temperatures because of exposure to cold.

Death from hypothermia can occur very quickly in certain situations; men falling overboard into chilly ocean waters may succumb to hypothermia in a matter of minutes.

In James' case, however, the time between the onset of hypothermia and his death lasted several days.

"The earliest stages, called mild hypothermia, are characterized by such things as a loss of coordination and changes in personality," said Dr. James Wilkerson, editor of the book "Hypothermia, Frostbite and Other Cold Injuries."

"As it gets a little colder, they would start to shiver uncontrollably. This happens when the core body temperature drops below 93 degrees Fahrenheit. That's a sign of significant hypothermia," Wilkerson said.