Released by: Dep. Joshua Westfall, Assistant Search And Rescue Coordinator
Occurred: 02/13/2020 5:45 PM
Location: Forest Service 22 Rd , west of Forest Service Rd 18 in Lake County
Rescued: Ferullo, Todd, 52 yo male, Bend, OR
Ferullo, Nicholle, 47 yo female, Bend, OR
NARRATIVE:
On 2/13/20 at about 1745 hours, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue received a mutual aid request from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office regarding motorists stuck in the snow on the Forest Service Road 22 (Finley Butte Rd), which runs west from Forest Service Road 18 (China Hat Rd) near milepost 40 in Lake County.
The subjects had reportedly been attempting to drive from Bend to La Pine via FS 18 and FS 22 when they became stuck. Attempts to dig themselves out were not successful, resulting in their call to 911. The stranded motorists were later identified as Todd and Nicholle Ferullo. The motorists had a 4 wheel drive vehicle, food, water and a shovel. While trying to dig out, the shovel broke and it became apparent they were not going to be able to self-rescue.
One DCSO Deputy and one DCSO SAR volunteer responded down China Hat Rd to approximately milepost 32 where they then deployed in the DCSO SAR ARGO ATV. The Deputy and SAR volunteer traveled approximately 15 miles on FS 18 and FS 22 to the subjects’ location in the ARGO, reaching them at about 9:30 pm. The subjects and their dogs, who were all unharmed, were provided transport back to Bend at their request.
The DCSO would like to remind the public to use caution when traveling on forest roads this time of year due to snowpack. Road conditions vary significantly and roads can quickly become impassable. Further, if you are traversing in these conditions be sure to bring appropriate vehicles, equipment, lighting, clothing, food, water, navigation and communication devices.
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, Street Crimes, Marine Patrol, ATV Patrol, Forest Patrol, along with six K9 teams. Founded in 1916 and today led by your duly elected Sheriff L. Shane Nelson, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office serves the nearly 190,000 residents in Deschutes County. The agency has 230 authorized and funded personnel, which includes 187 sworn employees who provide services to the 3,055 square miles of Deschutes County.
