Released by: Deputy Donny Patterson, Assistant Search and Rescue Coordinator
Release Date: 07/13/2022
Location: Mirror Lakes Trail
Person Assisted: 77 year old Male, Lafayette, Ca.
On July 13, 2022, at 11:51 AM, the Deschutes County 911 Dispatch Center received a 911 call regarding a hiker on Mirror Lakes Trail that was having a Medical Emergency. It was determined that a 77-year-old male who was hiking with his family had become ill while on the trail. The illness prevented the hiker from walking back out to the trailhead without the assistance of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue.
A page was sent out for SAR and 9 DCSO SAR Volunteers responded. A Special Services Deputy assigned to Search and Rescue who was in the area at the time also responded to this call and hiked in to the patient arriving with the patient first at 1:11 PM. The DCSO SAR Volunteers met up with the Special Services Deputy and the patient at approximately 2:00 PM. The DCSO SAR Volunteers evaluated the hikers illness and chose to transport him out of the location approximately 2-miles by wheeled litter to the trailhead to meet up with Bend Fire and Rescue.
At approximately 3:35 PM, the SAR teams reached the Mirror Lakes Trailhead with the hiker. Bend Fire and Rescue evaluated the hiker and subsequently transported him to the hospital for further evaluation.
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.
