Training course gets real when volunteers rescue an injured hiker, Oregon sheriff says

A climber injured in a 50-foot fall at Smith Rock State Park got a lucky break when rescue crews already training nearby came to his assistance, Oregon officials reported.

A caller told 911 about 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, that a climber fell while scrambling up a rock outcropping to set a slackline near Asterick’s Pass, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Volunteers with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Mountain Rescue Team were training Saturday at the state park near Terrebonne in central Oregon with several other rescue teams, the release said.

Nine rescuers found that the man’s injuries prevented him from descending on the river trail from where he had fallen, sheriff’s officials said.

They lowered the man 650 feet in a littler to safety, according to the release. The other rescue teams at the training session also assisted.

The injured climber was taken to a hospital by ambulance to be checked. No information was released on his medical condition.

Slacklining involves “stretching and tensioning a 1”– 2” wide length of nylon/polyester webbing between two anchor points” to balance on, similar to tightrope walking, according to Slackline.us.

Sheriff’s officials thanked the Hood River Crag Rats, Eugene Mountain Rescue, Corvallis Mountain Rescue and Redmond Fire rescuers for their help.

Smith Rock State Park has several thousand climbs, including more than a thousand bolted routes, according to its website. The park is about 142 miles southeast of Portland.

This story was originally published September 18, 2022 at 9:14 AM with the headline "Training course gets real when volunteers rescue an injured hiker, Oregon sheriff says."