Stranded Portland hiker rescued on South Sister

A Portland man who went off-trail, slipped and fell after hiking to the summit of South Sister became stranded on a cliff and called for help Thursday afternoon, prompting a six-hour rescue effort that involved three helicopters and several volunteers.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office was notified shortly after 4 p.m. of the stranded hiker on the 10,358-foot peak, Sgt. Nathan Garibay, the county’s emergency services manager, said in a news release.

Arthur Duncan, 56, later told rescuers he had gotten off the climbers trail after reaching the summit and at one point “slipped, tumbled and slid 50 to 100 feet before catching himself on a rock before going over a cliff, avoiding a near-certain tragic outcome,” Garibay said.

Duncan called 911 to report the accident, saying he’d ended up stranded on a cliff or ledge and was unable to go down, back up or to the side without risking another dangerous fall, the sergeant said.

Using location data from the hiker’s cellphone, deputies determined Duncan was about 400 feet down from the Caldera rim above the Lewis Glacier, at about 9,800 feet elevation. Garibay said they also learned he was not prepared for overnight exposure to the elements.

Two DCSO SAR Mountain Rescue Unit members were flown by AirLink helicopter to the summit of South Sister while two other SAR members began to hike in from the Devils Lake Trailhead, Garibay said.

The first two rescuers reached Duncan shortly after 7:30 p.m. and learned he had minor injuries.

Due to the precarious location, unstable slopes and limited daylight, a hoist-capable Oregon National Guard Blackhawk helicopter was requested earlier and arrived around 8:30 p.m., Garibay said.

The helicopter was able to hoist Duncan aboard and he was flown to waiting SAR members at the Mt. Bachelor West Village parking lot. Garibay said the hiker declined medical care.

Meanwhile, the two SAR members who had helped Duncan were able to climb back to the summit, where they were picked up by a Life Flight helicopter.

Garibay said the sheriff’s office “is incredibly thankful to AirLink, Life Flight and the Oregon National Guard. The aircraft contributed to a safe resolution to this incident and (averted) a night technical rescue, thus minimizing the risk to Duncan and rescuers.”

He also reminded those hiking South Sister that “by leaving the climbers trail, you can face loose rocks, scree and treacherous conditions.”