Rescuers aid hiker in distress on South Sister

Search and rescue personnel responded to the hiking trail on South Sisters on August 22, to aid a hiker suffering from a medical problem.

According to Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) Assistant Search and Rescue (SAR) Coordinator Deputy Aaron Myers, 911 Dispatch received a call from a hiker near the top of South Sister at about 4 p.m. The caller reported that a person hiking in their group, Julia Farney, 25, of Portland, had a medical issue that prevented her from hiking further down the mountain without the assistance of the DCSO SAR team.

Dispatch was able to obtain GPS coordinates of the group’s location and provided those coordinates to DCSO SAR.

Due to the nature of the reported medical condition, Airlink was contacted and agreed to assist by transporting two DCSO SAR volunteers to a landing zone near the location where Farney was. The two DCSO SAR Volunteers reached the landing zone at approximately 6 p.m. The two SAR volunteers hiked approximately a half mile from the landing zone to Farney to begin medical assessment and treatment. The SAR Volunteers reached Farney at approximately 6:40 p.m.

Ten DCSO SAR Volunteers drove to the Devils Lake Trailhead and began the hike up to Farney’s location to assist the other two volunteers. The DCSO SAR Volunteers assisted Farney approximately a mile down the trail in a litter to another landing zone where Airlink had landed. The DCSO SAR Volunteers reached this landing zone at approximately 9 p.m. Farney was transported by Airlink to St. Charles Hospital in Bend.