Heavy snowfall on the Pacific Crest Trail causes need for dual rescue in Oregon

Hiker and biker saved by National Guard Black Hawk crew

On Thursday, a hiker and a mountain biker, both stranded in deep snow in separate locations near Mount Jefferson, were successfully rescued by an Oregon Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter crew, as reported by Statesman Journal.

The Central Cascade Range experienced significant snowfall over the past few days, marking the season’s initial heavy snowfall in the alpine regions.

These life-saving operations were conducted jointly by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon Army National Guard.

Weather conditions nearly foil rescue efforts

Scott Lucas, the Oregon search and rescue coordinator, mentioned that the rescue efforts faced delays due to adverse weather conditions, including heavy snowfall and whiteout conditions. However, the helicopter was able to efficiently pick up both individuals in one mission since their locations were close to each other, and they were transported to the ranger station together.

In the first instance, a mountain biker hailing from Sydney, Australia, was rescued from the Hawk Mountain area northeast of Detroit. The biker’s father had relayed a distress message, indicating that he was stranded without suitable cold weather gear and had taken refuge inside an existing hiking trail structure within a 5-foot snowdrift.

In the second scenario, a female hiker along the Pacific Crest Trail found herself caught in whiteout conditions for two days in the Jefferson Park area of the Mount Jefferson Wilderness. She initially activated her inReach GPS device on Tuesday, October 24. However, ground crews were unable to reach her location due to the heavy snowdrifts and fallen trees.

Excellent search and rescue operations bring the recreationists home

Both of these search and rescue missions were seamlessly combined by the Oregon Search and Rescue (SAR) and Oregon Army National Guard Aviation units, as the two locations were relatively close, only separated by 11.5 miles.

The helicopter crew safely airlifted the rescued hiker and mountain biker to the Detroit Lake Ranger Station, where they received necessary medical attention before being flown to Salem.