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Released by: Sergeant Nathan Garibay, Emergency Services Manager
Release Date: April 12, 2021
Location:
North Aspect of South Sister at approximately 9800 feet elevation
Rescued:
Stephen Lamb, 49 yrs old, Beaverton, OR
NARRATIVE:
On April 12, 2021 shortly before 9 am, Deschutes County 911 received a call from Stephen Lamb. Lamb reported he had been climbing alone up the north side of South Sister. Lamb found himself in a precarious location where he was unable to continue up and unable to climb back down the mountain. He was stranded on a small ledge in very steep terrain. Snow, ice and poor rock prevented him from being able to move from his position.
Two Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Special Service Deputies responded to begin initial planning for rescue. Upon initial investigation, it was clear the rescue would require technical rescuers from our Search and Rescue Mountain Rescue Unit (MRU). Three Search and Rescue (SAR) volunteers were flown by AirLink to the summit of South Sister. AirLink made two flights ferrying rescuers and a third flight to assist in locating Lamb.
Six additional SAR volunteers responded to the Devil’s Lake Trailhead via snowmobile to support the mission and five additional volunteers supported Incident Management. At the same time, the Oregon National Guard was put on standby for the possibility of a hoist rescue.
Rescuers had to proceed about 600 feet down a ridge off the Northwest side of the mountain and then traverse (move laterally along a slope) approximately 500 feet East to a location directly above Lamb. Lamb was located in a precarious location in a narrow chute. At approximately 3:19 pm, an MRU member rappelled to Lamb and secured him from falling. Due to the precarious location, they assisted him from the chute to a safer location for the Oregon National Guard HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter to hoist from. At approximately 4:30 pm, Lamb was hoisted aboard the helicopter and flown to a waiting Sheriff’s Deputy at the Sisters Airport. Lamb was uninjured, but exhausted from the long climb and from holding on to a ledge for over 7 hours. Helicopter rescue was deemed to be the safest method get Lamb off the mountain.
The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank AirLink Critical Care Transport and the Oregon Army National Guard G/1-189 Aviation Regiment for their professional assistance in this rescue.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is a full service agency that oversees the adult jail, provides patrol, criminal investigations, civil process and search and rescue operations. Special units include SWAT, Street Crimes, Marine Patrol, ATV Patrol, Forest Patrol, along with six K9 teams. Founded in 1916 and today led by your duly elected Sheriff L. Shane Nelson, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office serves the nearly 190,000 residents in Deschutes County. The agency has 230 authorized and funded personnel, which includes 187 sworn employees who provide services to the 3,055 square miles of Deschutes County.
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