Injured Middle Sister hiker rescued in air/ground operation

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A Portland man injured while hiking on Middle Sister on Sunday afternoon was rescued in a ground and air operation that involved Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue volunteers and an AirLink helicopter crew.

The sheriff’s office was notified around 1:45 p.m. by a Lane County sheriff’s deputy regarding the hiker with a leg injury who was unable to walk, said Deputy Donny Patterson, Deschutes County assistant SAR coordinator.

The 55-year-old hiker was reported to be on the southwest, Lane County side of the 10,045-foot peak in the Three Sisters Wilderness. His three hiking companions were trying to escort him back to their camp in Deschutes County, at Camp Lake, Patterson said.

Lane County was trying to coordinate a land and/or air rescue and contacted the Oregon National Guard to see if a helicopter was available to assist, the deputy said. But they were unable to do so, and requested assistance from Deschutes County SAR, which in turn contacted AirLink for help.

Two SAR members headed to the AirLink hangar in Bend and were flown to the area, landing near Camp Lake shortly before 5 p.m. The two SAR members hiked to the injured hiker, reaching the party a few minutes later.

The SAR members evaluated the hiker’s injuries and prepared him for transport, then brought him to a location where the helicopter could land, Patterson said. The man was loaded on the AirLink helicopter and taken to St. Charles Bend.

The SAR team members and the rest of the hiking party then hiked about seven miles back to the Pole Creek Trailhead.

Patterson said the sheriff’s office wanted to thank AirLink for their assistance in the rescue.