Hiker lost in foggy Badlands rescued

A U.S. Forest Service officer and Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue volunteers helped a hiker in the Badlands Wilderness Area who called for help Monday evening after she became disoriented and lost in the dense fog blanketing the area east of Bend, officials said.

County 911 dispatchers got a call around 5:30 p.m. from Roxanne George, 46, of Bend, seeking help as darkness fell in the area near the Horse Ridge Trailhead, said Sgt. Ronny Dozier, Sheriff’s SAR operations manager.

Five SAR teams made up of 23 volunteers responded to the call, along with three deputies and the Forest Service officer, Dozier said.

Jones stayed in contact with deputies by text message, and around 6:45 p.m., she said she could see the Forest Service officer’s police lights and hear the siren, and safely walked to his location.

Jones said she’d started her hike around 3:30 p.m. and had brought plenty of water and was dressed for the weather.

Dozier said the sheriff’s office wanted to remind all backcountry travelers to prepare for changing weather and taking along a well-charged cell phone, water and other basic needs in case the weather takes a turn for the worse.