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Patrick McGinnis grimaces in pain as he steps forward and his leg sinks into me deep snow.

It hurts just to walk. He's so cold that it's difficult for him to speak or even think, but he knows he has to keep going.

It's late afternoon on May 12, 1986. Pat is near the summit of Mount Hood in Oregon with a climbing group from his high school.

They've been caught in a sudden blizzard that shows no signs of letting on.

Now they're racing to get down from the mountain before nightfall. If they don't make it, they'll be trapped up here and they might freeze to death.

Pat takes another step forward and stumbles. He's 15 years old, lean and athletic. He runs track, but now he can't seem to get his limbs to do what he wants.

He's been told he has hypothermia, so he knows that he must get to a warmer location fast. But every step takes so much effort.

He looks around and realizes he can't see where he's going. The sky and snow-covered mountain slope seem to have merged.

There's nothing but white. He stops and hangs his head, unsure of what to do.

Patrick. Hey, Patrick. Come on, buddy. We gotta keep moving.

Pat looks up in stairs at the man who just spoke. It's the group's 30-year-old climbing consultant, Ralph Summers.

Pat had completely forgotten that Summers was holding on to him, helping him stay upright.

Summers has his left arm, while an older student named Susan McLeave has his right.

Pat nods weekly, then takes another step. He's surprised that he still has this strength to keep going. They've been hiking for over 13 hours.

Pat hoists his leg out of the snow to take another step. But when he tries to plant his foot, his leg suddenly buckles.

He loses his balance and pitches forward. He tumbles head first down the steep slope. Shards of ice slice his face as he falls.

He frantically reaches his hands out in the blind hope that he'll be able to grab onto something.

Then the slide stops, just as abruptly as it started.

Pat looks around and sees Susan to his right on her stomach. She must have fallen with him. Ralph Summers is several feet above them, further up the slope.

He pulls himself to his feet slowly and calls down to them.

Pat, Susan, don't move. If you try to get up, you could slide again. Stay put. I'll help, but I need to grab an ice axe first.

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