Search and rescue teams from Deschutes and Lane counties worked to rescue two people from Minnesota who became lost hiking near South Sister.
The following is a press release from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.
On 08/30/2022 at about 01:00 am Deschutes County 911 received a request from a Lane County Sheriff’s Office SAR Coordinator for assistance in locating two lost hikers who were about ½ mile west of the South Sister Climber’s Trail (in Lane County). It was learned that earlier in the evening, the two hikers called in stating they were lost. Both a Lane County and Deschutes County Search and Rescue Coordinator assisted the hikers via phone in locating the Climbers Trail and the hikers informed them they were headed back down to the trailhead.
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During the following few hours, they lost the trail again which prompted the phone call to dispatch in the early morning hours. It was also reported the female had slid approximately 30 feet down a slope and had injured her knee. Deschutes County 911 was able to ping the female’s cell phone which confirmed they were still west of the climbers trail.
One Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office deputy, along with eight Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue volunteers responded to the call. A initial hasty team consisting of three Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue members headed to the subjects location. An additional team of four SAR members – along with three members of the Lane County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue – headed up the trail with a wheeled litter in the event the female was unable to walk out on her own.
The hasty team was able to get a visual on the hikers at 06:45 hours, but due to the terrain not able to reach them until 07:30. They conducted an assessment of the female’s injuries and determined she was able to walk on her own. The SAR teams escorted both hikers back down the trail, reaching the trailhead at 11:50 am. The hikers did not need any additional medical attention.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is a full service agency that oversees the adult jail, provides patrol, criminal investigations, civil process and search and rescue operations. Special units include SWAT, Marine Patrol, ATV Patrol, Forest Patrol, along with five K9 teams. Founded in 1916 and today led by your duly elected Sheriff L. Shane Nelson, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office serves over 200,000 residents in Deschutes County. The agency has 259 authorized and funded personnel, which includes 191 sworn employees who provide services to the 3,055 square miles of Deschutes County.
