By: Lt. Bryan Husband, Special Services Coordinator
Date: 08/14/17
Rescued: Jhonzell Burton, 24 yom, Portland, OR
On 08/14/17, at about 12:41pm, Deschutes County 9-1-1 received a report of a hiker near the false summit of South Sister mountain in need of medical attention. The hiker, later identified as Jhonzell Burton had been located crawling on the trail and incoherent. Fellow hikers assisted Burton to a shaded part of the trail nearby and called 9-1-1.
Nine DCSO SAR Volunteers and two DCSO Deputies responded to assist. AirLink was contacted and assisted with flying two DCSO SAR Volunteers to a location about 600′ below Burton, dropping them off there to hike the remaining distance. Six other DCSO SAR Volunteers responded to the Devil’s Lake Trail head and proceeded up the trail with a wheeled litter and additional patient packaging gear. One DCSO SAR Volunteer remained at Airlink to act as a liaison during the rescue mission.
The two DCSO SAR Volunteers dropped off by AirLink, contacted Burton at about 2:30pm and began providing medical assistance. Burton was located at about 8,600′ elevation. At about 3:30pm, with the assistance of hikers in the area, DCSO SAR Volunteers began to assist Burton down the trail, meeting back up with Airlink at a lower elevation. AirLink then transported Burton to St. Charles Hospital in Bend to be further treated for his unknown medical problem.
Burton had been attempting to summit South Sister with friends when he began to suffer from his unknown medical problem. They returned down the trail with the responding DCSO SAR Volunteers.
The Deschutes County Sheriff‘s Office would like to remind those recreating, whether it be in the Three Sisters Wilderness, Smith Rock State Park or any of our many outdoor areas, to plan ahead for all types of weather. Research the weather forecast, bring extra food and water and utilize sun protection.
