Two hikers rescued from shoreline of Crater Lake

Two hikers who illegally entered the caldera of Crater Lake were rescued Monday after they were stranded overnight on the shoreline of the nation’s deepest lake, one seriously injured in a 250-foot fall, national park officials said.

Park spokeswoman Marsha McCabe said one hiker sustained serious injuries when he tumbled the last 250 feet while making the steep, rocky 1,100-foot descent into the caldera, the depression formed by the collapse of the volcano.

He was taken to St. Charles Bend. Another hiker suffered minor hypothermia.

She said the hikers, both 30-year-old men from the Seattle area, illegally entered the caldera near North Junction around 2:30 p.m. Sunday and were trying to get photographs. A third friend reported them missing about five hours later and a search got underway.

Rescuers in an AirLink helicopter from Bend found them along the shore at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday, but the rescue operation was temporarily suspended because of darkness and hazardous terrain.

A Jackson County Search and Rescue helicopter crew retrieved the hikers Monday morning. The AirLink medical helicopter returned to transport the most seriously injured hiker, McCabe said

“Hiking in the caldera is strictly prohibited year round,” McCabe said in a news release. “The rim of Crater Lake is especially dangerous this time of year due to the large snowfields present in many locations.

“Snow cornices are a regular occurrence in the park this time of year and can collapse without warning. Snow cornices are formed when snow is blown over sharp terrain like the rim of Crater Lake. The snow forms an overhang with no solid ground beneath it for support.

“Please use extreme caution and stay away from the edge of the rim at all times,” the announcement said.