Thank you for providing such honorable services to the Deschutes County community.
This note is to thank the Deschutes County Search and Rescue volunteers, three deputies and the USFS for their help in extracting my two horses from deep mud while on a ride on April 19, 2014 along the Windigo Trail, north of USFS Road 1514. My horses were stuck in mud over three feet deep – it took over 5-1/2 hours working in cold water and mud to extract them safely. The Deschutes County Search and Rescue is noted for their life-saving efforts, but they do not get nearly the credit they deserve from the public. They don’t think as individuals. They think as a team.
Their funding is limited, but their passion for rescuing people and animals from hazardous situations is tremendously rich. They don’t ask for praise, but instead, the 125 volunteers and a Sheriff’s Office coordinator attempt positive results in an average of 100 missions a year. The day after saving my horses, the Mountain Rescue unit and Horse Team of Search and Rescue were back in a training seminar. That was their weekend.
Thank you so much for all of your help with the Deschutes River Clean-up Day. It was wonderful to work with all of you! We really appreciate all of the time and energy you put in to help make the event a success. Thank you for all that you do to make our community better.
Thank you for all your efforts and all the help that you provide – our entire community appreciates it. Your organization means a lot to us.
Many, grateful thanks to all of those who helped us last night when we were lost in the Badlands near Highway 20. We are moved by your wonderful dedication.
To everyone who helped with our rescue at Swampy Lakes, we really appreciate the work you do and what you did for us.
This note is to thank everyone for the help that I received on August 10, 2014 following a skiing accident. My ankle was broken in two places, my fibula was broken, and all the ligaments were torn away. So the Helivac was a God-send. The volunteers were so thoughtful and caring.
Thank you Matt, Team Leader, Kristi and others for pulling me out of the snow on January 7, 2014. I still cannot walk on my left leg but I am scheduled for an MRI and orthopedic doctor tomorrow.
I want to give you our sincere thanks for being there during my life saving event that happened on Friday, September 13, 2013 near Horse Lake in the Sisters Wilderness. I was bucked off my horse when he stepped on a hornets’ nest and threw me into a grove of trees. I broke my back among other things. Between the Deschutes County Search and Rescue, the Oregon Air National Guard and others I am thankfully alive and well today, one year later. I can’t express how much we owe all of you for my life.
I had an ankle break at Golden Lake in the Three Sisters Wilderness Area at 3 pm on August 12th. The break happened at the north shore of the lake while jumping across a creek. Alone and away from my group I cried out to God to help. I crawled back to my camp and got a cell phone from a friend. I called 911 and got put through to Sheriff Deputy Jim Whitcomb. He calmly asked me questions and got my exact GPS location and dispatched two teams of SAR volunteers, who hiked in and carried me out. Thanks to SAR, an ex-drug addict and ex-alcoholic still has a shot at a bright future.
Labor Day weekend I decided to take my dog for a hike to Chush Falls outside Sisters while my husband watched opening day football. I hike all the time alone so thought nothing of it. Once I got the Chush Falls, it was a very steep user trail down to the canyon bottom to see it up close. When turning back, best I can tell my left foot slipped while on top of that log and fell forward with all my weight hitting my right foot which probably was at a weird angle too. All I remember is seeing my knee bulge out sideways and then crashing into the gravel. My leg was stuck at a weird angle and it was incredibly painful to move it even a tiny bit. I was stuck. After realizing I was in real trouble and had no cell service, I started screaming for attention. A trail runner found me not 5 minutes later and ran to call 911. It took only about 2 hours until I saw the first Search and Rescue yellow shirt coming over and I have never been so happy to see someone! When Search & Rescue arrived they told me that they had to get my knee back in place to move me because getting the litter down the ravine was going to be very difficult. Next, they put a auto blood pressure cuff and pulse ox on me, plus an IV, all while I was still in that place. Crazy! After a bout of strong drugs I passed out and when I woke up- VIOLA! My leg was completely straight and a full wrapped brace was on! Now they got the “muscle” – two of the bigger SAR guys – to help carry me at times up and over all those logs. Finally, back at the hillside, I was put in a harness and roped up, and since it was too steep and narrow for the litter. I had to hike up on my good leg, with the 2 guys on each side helping me up. Once at the top I was strapped in the litter with a large wheel. Four people then rotated holding me while we went down the 2.5 miles or so back to the trailhead and a waiting ambulance. It turns out that I dislocated my knee which ruptured my ACL and MCL, and my meniscus was shredded. There is no way I would have gotten out of there if SAR had not come. I will be forever grateful to Search & Rescue and all the wonderful people who helped me. THEY ARE ALL VOLUNTEERS and did this on their holiday weekend for no charge to me or anyone they help. You NEVER think this will happen to you, but be thankful we live in an area of such unsung heroes!