A volunteer rescue team training Saturday, Sept. 17, at Smith Rock State Park ended up carrying out a real rescue when a climber in the park fell 50 feet, according to Oregon officials.
Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office
A climber injured in a 50-foot fall at Smith Rock State Park was lucky when already trained rescue teams nearby came to his aid, Oregon officials reported.
A caller told 911 around 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 that a mountaineer fell while climbing a rock outcrop to set up a slackline near Asterick’s Pass, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Volunteers from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Mountain Search and Rescue Team were training Saturday in the state park near Terrebonne, central Oregon, along with several other rescue teams, according to the press release.
Nine rescuers found the man’s injuries prevented him from descending the river trail from where he fell, sheriff’s officials said.
They lowered the man 650 feet to a little more safety, the statement said. The other rescue teams at the training session also helped.
The injured mountaineer was taken to hospital by ambulance to be checked. No information has been released on his condition.
Slacklining involves “stretching and tensioning a length of nylon/polyester webbing 1″ to 2″ wide between two anchor points” for balance, 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 assistance.
Smith Rock State Park has several thousand climbs, including more than a thousand bolt-on routes, according to its website. The park is about 142 miles southeast of Portland.
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