Date: 01/24/19
By: Deputy Josh Westfall, Assistant Search and Rescue Coordinator
Rescued: Alan Valenti, 48 year old male, Bend, OR
Rescued: Joseph Virgilio, 44 year old male, Bend, OR
On 01/24/19, at approximately 1:50pm, 9-1-1 Dispatch received a call from Alan Valenti, who had just been in a snowmobile crash near Green Lakes Trail Head. Valenti reported he had crashed his snowmobile into Fall Creek just north of Hwy 372 and had received a non life threatening injury from his snowmobile rolling on top of him. Valenti also reported his snowmobile partner, Joseph Virgilio, had received a non life threatening injury while assisting him in the creek. Valenti reported they would both need assistance in getting out of the backcountry so they could seek medical attention.
Six Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Volunteers, two DCSO Deputies, and three US Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers responded to assist. One of the DCSO SAR Volunteers had been in the nearby area snowmobiling and responded directly to the crash location, arriving at approximately 2:30pm. Valenti and Virgilio were assisted out of the creek and stabilized/warmed as much as possible until the remaining resources arrived at 3:37pm. Both subjects were transported via snowmobile and ambusled back to Dutchman Flat parking area, where they were turned over to Bend Fire Dept. personnel. Virgilio was transported by ground ambulance to St. Charles in Bend while Valenti declined transport.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is a full service organization providing patrol, criminal investigations, corrections, civil and search and rescue. Special operations include Marine Patrol, ATV Patrol, Forest Patrol, along with four K9 units. Founded in 1916 and today directed by Sheriff L. Shane Nelson, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office serves the more than 185,000 residents in Deschutes County. The agency has 230 authorized and funded personnel, which includes 180 sworn employees who provide services to the 3,055 square miles of Deschutes County.
