DCSO SAR members rescue motorist stuck in snow on Cascade Lakes Highway
Prompts reminder of safe backcountry travel in the winter.
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A father’s call to 911 and a cellphone ping helped Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue come to the aid of a 20-year-old Willamette Valley man whose pickup got stuck in the snow on Cascade Lakes Highway west of Bend, deputies said Thursday.
County 911 dispatchers got a call around 8 p.m. Wednesday from a man saying his son, a resident of the small Marion County town of Jefferson, was stuck in the snow, said Lt. Mike Biondi, Special Services coordinator.
The father told dispatchers he believed his son was in the Sisters area, but that during the call, his son’s cellphone batter died. When he was unable to reconnect with his son, he called county dispatchers, Biondi said.
A phone ping gave a general location of 9.8 miles southwest of Mt. Bachelor, but no specific coordinates. A Deschutes County SAR coordinator was contacted to help.
Five SAR volunteers and a special services deputy responded to assist, Biondi said. Two SAR members were sent to the Cascade Lakes Highway by Forest Service Road 40.
They traveled most of the way in a 4-by-4 pickup, then deployed SAR’s tracked ATV, ARGO, and found the man around 2:30 a.m., unhurt and in good spirits, Biondi said.
SAR members learned the man was attempting to travel to and hike in the Three Sisters Wilderness, Biondi said. He was given a ride back to Bend, where he was reunited with his family.
"The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office would like to remind those traveling during the winter to anticipate changes in the weather and varying snowpack conditions," Biondi said in a news release.
"It is also recommended if you’re traveling Forest Service roads this time of year, they are generally not maintained, so planning your route is suggested. Also, be sure to bring appropriate vehicles and equipment, including a shovel, lighting, clothing, blankets, food, water, navigation and communication devices, to include a cellphone charger."
