A Bend man and his daughter were rescued Wednesday from an area near Paulina Lake after their truck got stuck in snow and they spent the night outside.
Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Shane Zook said Deschutes County Dispatch received a 911 call around 3:00 p.m. from a man who said his son, 37-year-old Paul Thompson, and Thompson’s 13-year-old daughter were stuck in a car on a snowy road near Paulina Lake. The caller said the two people had been stuck since Tuesday night.
A family member had been able to locate the 13-year-old’s phone location, which showed they were on the north side of the lake. When a deputy tried to ping the girl’s cell phone later, the phone was turned off or the battery died.
At 5:30 p.m., three DCSO search and rescue volunteers traveled around five and a half miles to the people, whose pickup truck had gotten stuck in the snow. Thompson, his daughter and their two dogs were unharmed, and they were given a ride out of the area to a search and rescue pickup. The rescue mission took about an hour and a half.
DCSO wants to remind the public to use caution when driving on forest roads due to the snowpack. If you are driving in snowy conditions, remember to drive in an appropriate car, bring the right equipment and bring clothing, food water and communication devices.
