PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A climber who died after a nearly 300-foot fall on Mount Hood Sunday has been identified as 30-year-old Thomas Nathan Hostetler of Portland, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
For friends and family, Hostetler was more than an experienced climber — he was a compassionate nurse, a gifted musician at his local church, a photographer, and someone who found peace and purpose in the outdoors.
Hostetler’s parents, Thomas Leroy and Darlene Hostetler, spoke with KOIN 6 while traveling to Portland from the East Coast following their son’s death. They said they want him to be remembered not for the fall that ended his life, but for his deep faith and the way he made others feel.
“He was just so compassionate and full of zeal for life,” Leroy said. “He brought hope in some of the darkest situations for his friends during times of COVID.”…