Bend family’s Christmas tree outing turns into snowy rescue
(Update: Correcting woman’s age)
A Bend family’s outing near East Lake to cut a Christmas tree Sunday afternoon turned into an hours-long rescue after their pickup got stuck in the snow, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue officials said Monday.
They called it a good reminder for backcountry winter travelers to be prepared — and to check for winter forest road closures.
County 911 dispatchers received a call shortly after 8 p.m. from the stuck motorist, a 24-year-old Bend man who reported he and his family were stuck in the snow near East Lake, in the area of Newberry Crater northeast of La Pine, said Deputy Jim Whitcomb, assistant SAR coordinator.
The passengers in the four-wheel-drive pickup truck included a 54-year-old woman, 17-year-old girl, 13-year-old boy and the family’s dog.
The man said they had intended to drive on Forest Service Road 21 past East Lake after earlier finding their tree on the 9710 road, Whitcomb said. They had left home around 3:30 p.m. and got stuck around 7:45 p.m.
The caller said he believed the family would be able to stay warm, since the pickup had a half-tank of gas and they were dressed for the weather, having water with them but no extra food.
Whitcomb said there was about a foot and a half of snow in the area and it was snowing, but the family did not bring shovels or anything else that could help them dig out of the snow.
A DCSO SAR deputy responded to the area with a patrol pickup towing a trailer with a tracked ATV, Whitcomb said. The deputy went as far as possible before deploying the tracked ATV, driving about four more miles before finding the pickup around 12:15 a.m. Monday.
Whitcomb said the family’s pickup got stuck about 2 1/2 miles east of East Lake and the driver said it had snowed about three more inches since they got stuck.
The family and their dog were taken by ATV back to the patrol pickup and given a courtesy ride to their home.
“The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind those traveling in the backcountry that several Forest Service roads are closed during the winter season,” Whitcomb wrote in the news release.
“If you are planning on traveling on backcountry roads that may have snow on them (no matter the depth), it is recommended to possess traction tires and/or tire chains, shovels and/or other implements to help free you if you become stuck, as well as the 10 Essentials for wilderness survival, in case you are forced to spend the night in your vehicle,” the sergeant added.
Refer to the following links for the latest road closures:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/deschutes/home/?cid=stelprdb5347630
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/deschutes/recreation/?cid=stelprdb5408820
