Released by: Deputy Kyle Joye, Assistant Search and Rescue Coordinator
Date: July 13 – 14, 2021
Location: South Sister/Moraine Lake Trail
Persons Assisted: Beverly Logan, 58 year old female, Portland, Oregon (Patient #1)
Janusz Jurski, 45 year old male, Beaverton, Oregon (Patient #2)
On 07-13-21 at about 4:06 PM, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Special Services Unit was dispatched to an injured hiker on the South Sister Climbers Trail near the summit of South Sister. Deschutes County Dispatch was able to obtain accurate coordinates for the injured hiker which placed her near the summit of South Sister. Contact with the reporting party revealed Beverly Logan (patient #1) was injured and would be unable to walk down the trail without assistance.
Airlink Air Ambulance agreed to transport two SAR volunteers partially up the trail which would reduce the time and distance required to reach the patient. After attempting the flight, Airlink found weather/visibility conditions were so bad, they had to abort the flight.
Nine SAR volunteers then drove to the Devils Lake Trailhead and began the hike up to the South Sister summit. Two members of the team proceeding ahead of the main group were notified of a 2nd patient on the trail who had suffered an injury and would be unable to make it down the trail without assistance. This patient, Janusz Jurski, was completely separate from the first patient and was found on the South Sister Climbers Trail just above Moraine Lake.
By approximately 9:00 PM, SAR volunteers had made contact with and were providing care for both patients on the trail. These patients were separated by at least 1.5 miles of steep and rugged terrain, requiring the rescuers to exercise extreme caution. An additional 7 Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue volunteers were summoned and responded to the scene to assist. In addition, weather conditions had improved and Airlink responded to the scene to assist with extrication.
At 10:00 pm, Airlink arrived in the area but found they were unable to get close to Logan/patient #1 for removal. Airlink landed at a lower elevation and stood by for approximately 3 hours until SAR volunteers could move Logan to their location.
After providing medical treatment and packaging her for transport, Logan/patient #1 was moved from an area of extreme elevation and angle using both hand and wheeled litter to the waiting Airlink helicopter. At approximately 02:57 AM Logan was released to the care of Airlink.
At the same time, Search and Rescue medical team members assessed Jurski/patient #2’s condition and prepared the hiker for transport down the trail with a wheeled litter. After the patient was secured in the litter, he was carried about 3 miles down the trail to the trailhead where he was going to seek his own medical treatment. Jurski was released to his family at 02:45 AM.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Airlink for their valuable help and assistance during this difficult rescue of two hikers.
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.
