Life Flight saves adventure photographer at Mt. Hood Meadows
Cover photo courtesy of Life Flight
Photographer Richard Hallman lives for the mountains, their beauty, their wildness, and the chance to capture fleeting moments of adventure through his lens. But on one sunny day at Mt. Hood Meadows, that passion turned suddenly into a life-threatening emergency.
It began with a moment of miscommunication between Richard and a group of snowboarders he was photographing. “It was an unfortunate accident, plain and simple,” he shared. “There was some faulty communication—100% on me.”
Standing in the wrong place at the wrong time, Richard was struck by a rider in a violent collision that left him in immediate, excruciating pain. His ribs were shattered—15 fractures in total—and he was soon diagnosed with flail chest, a rare and serious injury in which a segment of the rib cage becomes detached from the chest wall. Additionally, he had a deviated trachea, and cardiac and pulmonary contusions. The result was intense pain, paradoxical breathing, and the constant threat of complications.
Fortunately, Richard wasn’t alone. His friends leapt into action, calling for help. Mt. Hood Ski Patrol and the staff at Providence Meadows Clinic responded swiftly, stabilizing him on the slopes and requesting Life Flight Network.
Life Flight Network arrived on scene quickly and immediately went to work, managing Richard’s pain and preparing him for the flight to Portland.
“The outstanding professionalism of Life Flight—just incredible,” Richard wrote. The flight crew delivered ICU-level support in the air, shortening the time it took to get him to definitive care at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland, where the trauma team took over.
As he began his recovery in the hospital, Richard learned that while surgery wasn’t required, the road ahead would be long. “I’m definitely going to be sidelined for a few months,” he said. “The primary goal now is to manage the pain and regain mobility.”
The recovery wasn’t just physical. Emotionally, Richard was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from friends, family and followers. “I got extremely lucky,” he wrote. “It could’ve been a lot worse. A LOT worse. I firmly believe things would have been potentially dire without timely intervention by Life Flight Network. I never imagined I’d be one of their patients but am so grateful they were there when I needed them.”
He promised to take time to reflect, heal, and share what he learned: “Accidents happen, especially when we’re adventuring in the mountains. We need to treat them with reverence and great respect. Like everything in life, this is a rare and profound learning experience.”
Twelve weeks later, that journey came full circle. Richard visited Life Flight Network’s base in Dallesport, Ore., where he met with the pilot and flight nurse who were with him on that fateful day. “It was a big, full circle moment,” he wrote. “I got to thank Eileen, my primary caregiver, and Brian, my pilot, face to face. I can’t thank Life Flight Network enough for helping me in my time of need.”
Though still not fully recovered, Richard estimates he’s about 90% back to normal and feeling strong. He ended the visit with a heartfelt recommendation: “I highly encourage everyone to have a Life Flight Network membership—it’s money well spent, and, more importantly, it gave me peace of mind.”
Now, with gratitude in his heart and the mountains still calling, Richard is ready to keep moving forward. “To all who supported me—thank you from the bottom of my heart. Here’s to getting back to 100%.”
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