Black Butte Ranch near-drowning victim at Bend hospital
(Update: Police release initial details; name still withheld; clarifying it’s a pedal board)
An 18-year-old who nearly drowned while stand-up pedal boarding on Phalarope Lake at Black Butte Ranch Sunday afternoon remained under treatment Monday at St. Charles Bend, where he was flown by air ambulance after being revived.
Black Butte Ranch police and fire medics and Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies responded shortly before 4 p.m. to the reported water rescue at the lake, a popular spot for swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding next to the lodge at the resort west of Sisters.
When medics and officers arrived, they found three witnesses had gone into the lake and brought the victim to shore, police Sgt. Steve Vuylsteke said.
Medics began CPR and once stabilized, the victim was flown by air ambulance to the Bend hospital. The sergeant said the victim’s name was being withheld until family notifications are complete.
The 18-year-old had a 10 1/2-foot pedal board (a paddleboard equipped with handlebars, pedals and a rudder) at the time of the incident, Vuylsteke said, adding that it’s not known if he possessed a personal flotation device. The investigation is continuing, he added.
Black Butte Ranch Rural Fire District Captain Tom Ward said Sunday medics en route to the scene were informed that lifesaving efforts already were underway by those at the scene.
