In a case of being in the right place at the right time, Deschutes County Search and Rescue helped two injured hikers at Smith Rock State Park Monday.
Dep. Aaron Myers, Assistant Search and Rescue Coordinator, said crews were initially sent to the park around 2:40 p.m. to help a woman who was injured near the top of the Misery Ridge Trail.
Redmond Fire & Rescue responded and determined the injured woman, 25-year-old Amanda Zazueta of Simi Valley, Calif. would not be able to make it down the trail without a wheeled litter, so they called SAR.
A dozen SAR volunteers responded to help.
At 4:20 p.m., dispatch received another call that a second hiker, 43-year-old Prerna Jaiswal of San Jose, had been injured on the Mesa Verde trail.
The SAR volunteers were still on the scene helping Zazueta and two of them were able to walk to Jaiswal and assess her condition.
Six of the 12 SAR volunteers on site continued up the trail to Zazueta’s location while the rest of the team helped Jaiswal.
The crews determined Jaiswal would also need help down the trail in a wheeled litter so they used Redmond Fire’s litter to bring her down where she was taken across the river by awaiting medics.
Jaiswal was evaluated and released to family.
The six SAR Volunteers who continued up to Zazueta’s location were able to get her into the wheeled litter and brought her down the Mesa Verde Trail with the help of Redmond Fire.
The six volunteers then walked up and also helped bring Zazueta down the trail.
SAR brought her down about a half-mile in the wheeled litter to the river crossing where she crossed to waiting Redmond Fire Personnel.
Zazueta was evaluated and released to friends.
