Fallen, injured Bend climber rescued on Mt. Washington

A 20-year-old Bend woman on a solo climb of Mt. Washington called for help late Sunday night after a falling rock struck her head as she rappelled from the summit, sending her tumbling 15 feet. That prompted an all-night search and rescue operation and an Oregon Army National Guard helicopter flight to a Springfield hospital.

Linn County Sheriff Bruce Riley said Sarah Ford called the Deschutes County dispatch center around 11:25 p.m. Sunday to report she’d been hit in the head by a falling rock while rappelling down from the 7,700-foot elevation, near the 7,795-foot summit of Mt. Washington, which straddles the Linn-Deschutes county line.

Dispatchers were able to determine Ford’s cellphone location, accurate to within a half-mile, Riley said. But Ford’s cell phone had just 1 percent battery left when she called, so attempts to reach her by phone were unsuccessful.

The information was relayed to the Linn County 911 center just after midnight, the sheriff said. Deputies, 14 Linn County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue members, six members of the Corvallis Mountain Rescue Team and three Linn County Sheriff’s Office Posse members on horseback went to the area and searched throughout the night, locating Ford just before 7 a.m., Riley said.

Rescuers learned Ford had been climbing alone, entering the Mt. Washington Wilderness Area around 1 p.m. from the Pacific Crest Trailhead on the Old Santiam Wagon Road.

While rappelling down from the summit, around 7:30 p.m., Ford was hit in the left temple by a falling rock, then fell about 15 feet, causing a serious injury to her left knee, the sheriff said.

Ford then hiked about three-quarters of a mile, down to the 6,200-foot level, but was unable to keep walking and made the call to 911 for help.

Due to the extent of her injuries and the remote, rugged terrain, rescuers requested assistance from the Salem-based Oregon Army National Guard unit. Shortly before noon, the helicopter arrived and was able to hoist Ford into a helicopter.

Ford was flown to PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield, where a spokeswoman said she was treated and later released.