Broken ski strands two men in snowy backcountry after dark, Oregon rescuers say

A “ski malfunction” left two Bend men stranded in the snowy backcountry after dark, Oregon rescuers reported.

After realizing they could not hike back out, one of the men climbed a mountain to call 911 for help at 5:27 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

He returned to his companion to provide rescuers with an accurate GPS fix on their location.

The men, ages 26 and 31, had food, water, warm clothing and other equipment to allow them to stay in place, rescuers said.

A six-person volunteer search team headed to Todd Lake on snowmobiles, then continued on foot using skis and snowshoes to reach the skiers at 10:03 p.m.

They headed back with the two men by ski and snowmobile, returning at 2 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, the release said.

Deschutes County is about 180 miles southeast of Portland.

This story was originally published December 4, 2022 at 9:45 AM with the headline "Broken ski strands two men in snowy backcountry after dark, Oregon rescuers say."