Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue completes 3 simultaneous missions

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue had a busy Friday night, with three simultaneous rescue missions for an injured hiker near Broken Top, a lost hiker near the South Sister Climbers Trail and a lost motorist east of Bend.

Shortly before 6 p.m., a sheriff’s office Special Services deputy was dispatched to assist an injured hiker near Broken Hand, a small peak northeast of Broken Top, said Deputy Shane Zook, assistant Search and Rescue coordinator.

A 32-year-old hiker from Forest Grove had been injured in a fall, requiring immediate medial attention and evacuation, Zook said.

The deputy paged out for SAR volunteers and also contacted Air Link, which agreed assist in the rescue.

The air ambulance brought three SAR volunteers from St. Charles Bend to the patient, Zook said, and they stabilized the man and carried him to an area where the helicopter could land and take him to the hospital.

SAR volunteers on scene escorted a hiking partner and their dog back to the trailhead at Three Creeks Lake. They were back in quarters by 2:15 a.m.

Shortly after 8 p.m., another Special Services deputy was advised of a lost hiker near the South Sister Climbers Trail, Zook said.

A 36-year-old Vancouver, Wash., man had become separated from his group on the trail headed back toward the trailhead alone, but took a wrong turn. The hiker ended up on the Pacific Crest Trail and relayed to the rest of his party that he was lost, just before his phone died, Zook said.

SAR volunteers were sent to the area and began checking trails, also leaving a note on the hiker’s car to call 911 if he made it back there.

Just before midnight, the hiker made his way out to the Cascade Lakes Highway, about five miles south of Devils Lake, where he flagged down a motorist and got a ride back to his car, where he found the note and called in. Those volunteers were back in quarters by 1:40 a.m.

Around 10:40 p.m., a Special Services deputy was sent to help a lost motorist near Frederick Butte Road, on the south side of Highway 20 East, between Brothers and Hampton, Zook said.

Dispatchers provided the deputy with coordinates for the lost motorist, a 32-year-old Portland woman, who had left all roads and was driving through a large area of sagebrush.

The deputy tried to guide the driver back toward a road by phone, but was unsuccessful. So the deputy drove out to the area, located the woman and guided her back to Highway 20.