Released by: Deputy Aaron Myers, Assistant Search and Rescue Coordinator
Released Date: 09/17/2022
Location: Southwest of Asterick Pass at Smith Rock State Park
Person Assisted: 21 year old male, Seattle Washington
On September 17, 2022, at 1003 hours, 911 Dispatch received a call regarding an injured hiker who reported to have fallen approximately 35-50 feet on an unimproved route southwest of Asterick’s Pass. The injured hiker was scrambling up a rock outcropping to set up a slack line. During the fall, the injured hiker sustained injuries that prevented him from making it down to the river trail.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Mountain Rescue Team was conducting a joint training operation with multiple out of county MRU teams at Smith Rock. Among those were 2 members of the Hood River Crag Rats, 7 members of Corvallis Mountain Rescue and 9 member of the Eugene Mountain Rescue.
The DCSO SAR MRU Team was notified of the incident and responded to the injured hiker. 9 DCSO SAR Volunteers responded and at approximately 1045 hours made contact with the injured hiker. The DCSO SAR Volunteers saw the male would have to be lowered from his location approximately 650 feet down to the river trail in a litter. The teams training with DCSO SAR assisted in the lower of the subject to the river trail.
The male was safely brought down with the assistance of the MRU Teams and was transferred to an ambulance at approximately 1530 hours and was transported to St Charles for further medical evaluation.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Hood River Crag Rats, Eugene Mountain Rescue, Corvallis Mountain Rescue and Redmond Fire for their assistance on this call.
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.
