Hiker rescued by helicopter after fall on South Sister

A Portland hiker escaped serious injury after falling on South Sister last Thursday. A search and rescue crew and a helicopter rescued him off the mountain.

The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office reported that they received a report on June 14, shortly after 4 p.m., regarding a stranded hiker on South Sister. The hiker, Arthur Duncan, 56, of Portland, called 911 to report he had left the South Sister climbers' trail and slid and fell. Duncan found himself on a cliff, unable to go down, back up or to the side without risking a dangerous fall.

Deputies used location data from Duncan's 911 call and determined he was about 400 feet down from the caldera rim above the Lewis Glacier. Duncan was at approximately 9,800 feet elevation and was not prepared for overnight exposure to the elements. Two DCSO Mountain Rescue Unit members were flown by AirLink to the summit of South Sister while additional SAR members began the hike in from the Devils Lake Trailhead.

The first two rescuers made contact with Duncan at about 7:35 p.m.

Upon contacting Duncan, rescuers determined he had minor injuries. Duncan told them he had gotten off the trail after summitting. At one point, he slipped, tumbled and slid 50 to 100 feet before catching himself on a rock before going over a cliff - avoiding a near-certain tragic outcome.

Duncan remained on a ledge until rescuers reached him.

Due to the precarious location, unstable slopes, and limited daylight, a hoist-capable Oregon National Guard Blackhawk helicopter was requested and arrived around 8:30 p.m. The helicopter was able to hoist Duncan from his position and flew to waiting SAR members at the Mount Bachelor West Village Lodge parking lot.

Duncan declined medical care. The two SAR members that assisted Duncan made their way back to the summit where they were picked up by a LifeFlight helicopter.

The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office thanked AirLink, LifeFlight and the Oregon National Guard for their assistance, noting that the aircraft contributed to a safe resolution to the incident and prevented a night technical rescue, minimizing the risk to Duncan and rescuers.