Released by: Deputy Shane Zook – Assistant Search and Rescue Coordinator
Date/time: 09/06/21 at 2:27 PM
Location: Smith Rock State Park
Injured: Savanah Thomas – 26 year old female – Lake Tahoe, CA
On 09/06/21 at about 2:27 PM, Deschutes County Dispatch received a 911 call from a male climber at Smith Rock State Park. The climber reported that his female climbing partner had fallen about 15 feet and sustained injuries, which would require a rescue.
A Special Services Deputy responded to the park, along with the Redmond Fire Department. The Deputy paged out for Search and Rescue volunteers to respond to the park as well. Eighteen Search and Rescue volunteers responded to the page.
The Deputy, two members of the Redmond Fire Department and one State Park employee responded to the location of the injured climber, which was in the Monument climbing area. The climber was located in a ravine, several hundred yards up from the canyon floor. Members of the Redmond Fire Department assessed the climber’s injuries and provided pain management medication until Search and Rescue arrived on scene.
When Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue arrived on scene, the medical team members began providing patient care and preparing the injured climber to be moved down the ravine in a litter. Members of the Mountain Rescue Team began preparing a technical rope system to assist in lowering the litter through some vertical areas within the ravine. Once the patient was ready, Search and Rescue members along with Redmond Fire and a State Park employee began moving the climber down through some tough terrain, eventually reaching the canyon floor. The climber was then carried out to an awaiting ambulance in a wheeled litter.
This was a team effort and and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Redmond Fire and the Oregon State Parks for their assistance in this rescue.
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.
