Weak, dehydrated Mt. Jefferson Wilderness hiker rescued

(Update: Rescue concluded; hiker was weak, given IV)

A two-county air and ground search and rescue effort concluded Friday evening in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Area for a Seattle man who ran out of water two days earlier while hiking from the Jefferson Creek trailhead to Candle Creek.

Jefferson County dispatch got a call shortly after 9 a.m. from Tim Gould, 55, who said he’d run out of water and was dehydrated, Sheriff Jim Adkins said in a Facebook post. His cellphone could only work calling 911, so there was no way for deputies to call him, the sheriff said.

Adkins said dispatchers were able to get Gould’s approximate GPS coordinates, about 28 miles west of Madras and nine miles north of Camp Sherman.

Adkins and another Sheriff’s Search and Rescue volunteer flew to the area and searched for nearly two hours, without spotting him. He said the Madras Airport folks helped him prepare a package, wrapped in bubble wrap and crime scene tape, containing water that they were planning to drop to him if he was found.

A Life Flight air ambulance crew also volunteered to help search and spent about two hours in the area, also with negative results, the sheriff’s said.

An Oregon Air National Guard helicopter crew responded from Salem and took over the search. Adkins said they were able to find Gould and lower a medic to him.

Adkins later said he’d learned from a deputy who talked to Gould that he didn’t have a GPS and brought just one bottle of water, which he lost two days before. He’d gone off the maintained trail to cut over to another trail, using only his map, and became so weak, he called for help.

The air medic gave Gould fluids by IV on scene and more in an ambulance as he was taken to St Charles Bend.

The sheriff called it a good reminder to all: “Before you go out and about, take plenty of water, have a plan — and don’t go off the main trails.”

Adkins also offered thanks to the sheriff’s office Hasty Team members who responded to assist, as well as a “big thank you to Life Flight for responding after they were clear from all their calls.”

“I can’t say enough about their ability to help our community!” Adkins wrote.

Deschutes County sheriff’s Deputy Shane Zook assisted the National Guard and Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District with setting up a landing zone at the Sisters Airport.