Two lost hikers rescued in Three Sisters Wilderness

Two East Coast visitors planning to hike South Sister lost the trail amid mid-July snowdrifts Friday afternoon and eventually called 911, prompting a rescue operation that took more than three hours to complete, officials said.

Shortly before 4 p.m., Deschutes County 911 dispatchers received a call from Melissa Keal, 21, of Philadelphia, who said she and fellow hiker Kendra Seblett, 21, of Elkview, W. Va., were lost somewhere below the mountain, in the Three Sisters Wilderness, said sheriff’s Deputy Mike Biondi, assistant Search and Rescue coordinator.

Keal told dispatchers that at some point during their hike, they had wandered off the trail and ended up southeast of Moraine Lake before calling 911, Biondi said.

Keal advised the hikers were lightly equipped, had no map, compass or GPS and were not dressed for an overnight stay, Biondi said.

Sheriff’s deputies were able to make contact with the hikers, who each were carrying a cell phone. Biondi said they called 911 on both cell phones so the dispatch center could obtain “pings” and help deputies determine where the hikers likely were.

Seven SAR volunteers responded to the area and began to climb the hiking trails from both the Green Lakes and Devils Lake trailheads, Biondi said.

The two women were located near the Green Lakes trail around 7:30 p.m. and were escorted back down the trail to the trailhead, then driven to their vehicle.

Biondi said rescuers learned the pair had left the Devils Lake trailhead, intending to summit the South Sister, but lost the trail due to intermittent snow drifts that covered the area. They became disoriented and wandered around in the area before calling 911.

Biondi said the sheriff’s office wanted to remind those recreating in the backcountry to bring some essential items along, including extra food and water, a map and compass or GPS, extra clothing, a light source, first aid supplies, fire-starting materials and some type of shelter.