On August 6, 2023, at approximately 1:20 pm, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue unit was dispatched to a report of a fallen climber at Smith Rock State Park.
Initial Reports detailed a climber fell approximately 20 feet while rappelling off the Brogan Spire on BLM land north of Smith Rock State Park. The subject was rendered unconscious for several minutes due to her fall. The injured climber’s partner yelled for assistance and several local climbers responded and contacted Deschutes County 911 Dispatch.
Local climbers assisted the subject from a suspended position onto an elevated ledge. SAR volunteers responded, climbed approximately 50 feet to the subject’s ledge to initiate patient care and establish a rope rescue system. The subject was packaged into a litter and lowered to the ground via rope. She was then lowered approximately 600 feet down a steep slope and moved an additional 600 feet to the canal where Redmond Fire and Rescue utilized their raft to shuttle the subject across the canal to a waiting ambulance.
We would like to thank those individuals who heard calls for help and responded in earnest. We also would like to thank the excellent coordination and teamwork with Redmond Fire & Rescue and Oregon State Parks.
A total of 14 SAR volunteers, a Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Special Services Sergeant, 2 Oregon State Park employees, and 6 Redmond Fire and Rescue assisted with this mission.
