SAR team rescues Sisters hikers

Sheriff's search and rescue (SAR) personnel plucked an injured Sisters woman out of the forest on August 10.

According to Deschutes County Sheriff's Office reports, search and rescue personnel were dispatched to a report of an injured hiker at the intersection of Scott Pass Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail near South Matthieu Lake in Sisters Country. Bruce Slayden, 65, reported his wife, Nora, also 65, had sustained an injury and could not continue further on the trail. Slayden advised they had started at Lava Camp trail earlier Sunday morning and had enough water and food to wait until SAR resources arrived.

Communication was challenging due to the remoteness of the location. Hit-and-miss text messages were the primary source of communication for updates on Slayden's status.

The sheriff's office reported that GPS coordinates were obtained from the 911 call, which helped confirm Slayden's location.

A SAR horse team consisting of two horses and three SAR members was deployed, followed behind by a SAR litter team of five members in case the patient could not be led out on a horse. The distance from the Lava Camp trailhead to the Slaydens' location was about three miles. After the horse team arrived at about 2 p.m., an assessment of the patient's condition determined the best method of extraction for the patient would be by air.

AirLink was dispatched, arriving at about 4:30 p.m. The SAR litter team arrived in time to assist with transporting the patient to the helicopter.

Nora Slayden was transported to St. Charles Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

The two SAR teams, accompanied by Bruce Slayden, arrived back at the Lava Camp trailhead at about 6 p.m. without incident.