Deschutes SO SAR rescues ill South Sister hiker
A 24-year-old Portland man who fell ill on a hike up South Sister was rescued Monday afternoon by Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue and an AirLink helicopter crew, deputies said.
Around 12:40 p.m., 911 dispatchers received a report of a hiker near the false summit of South Sister mountain in need of medical attention, said Lt. Bryan Husband, special services coordinator.
The hiker, later identified as Jhonzell Burton, 24, of Portland, had been located crawling on the trail and incoherent. Fellow hikers assisted Burton to a shaded part of the trail nearby and called 911.
Nine DCSO SAR Volunteers and two deputies responded to assist, Husband said AirLink was contacted and assisted with flying two SAR volunteers to a location about 600 feet below Burton, dropping them off there to hike the remaining distance.
Meanwhile, six other SAR volunteers headed to the Devil’s Lake Trailhead and proceeded up the trail with a wheeled litter and additional patient packaging gear. One volunteer remained with AirLink to act as a liaison during the rescue mission.
The two SAR volunteers dropped off by AirLink contacted Burton at about 8,600 feet elevation around 2:30 p.m. and began providing medical aid, Husband said.
About an hour later, with the help of hikers in the area, the SAR volunteers began to assist Burton down the trail, meeting back up with AirLink at a lower elevation. The helicopter then flew Burton to St. Charles Bend for further treatment of his unknown medical problem, Husband said.
Burton had been attempting to summit South Sister with friends when he began to suffer from the unknown medical problem. They returned down the trail with the responding SAR volunteers.
“The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind those recreating, whether it be in the Three Sisters Wilderness, Smith Rock State Park or any of our many outdoor areas, to plan ahead for all types of weather,” Husband said in a news release. “Research the weather forecast, bring extra food and water and utilize sun protection.”
