Deschutes County SAR Responds to Snowmobile Emergency: Rescues Injured 14-year old

Deschutes County, OR. – Official Release: At approximately 3:53 PM on 3/8/2025, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a report of a serious snowmobile accident near Elk Lake Loop, just south of Sunset View Day Use Area. The rider, identified as a 14-year-old female from Lake Oswego, Oregon, went off-trail and collided with a tree, sustaining serious injuries.

Due to the severity of the injuries and challenging terrain, nine Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue (SAR) volunteers from both the snowmobile and medical teams quickly responded. While en route, deputies received updates that the patient had briefly lost consciousness. Given this critical development, Air Link was immediately dispatched to assist with the evacuation.

AirLink initially could not land near the crash site due to terrain constraints. SAR teams swiftly established a safe landing zone on nearby Trail 5 (GPS 43.9711, -121.7979). Two Sheriff’s Office SAR paramedics and two AirLink Flight Nurses provided urgent medical care on scene, stabilizing the patient before transporting her via the SAR Snowbulance approximately 1.6 miles to the helicopter.

At 6:44 PM, the patient was successfully loaded onto the AirLink helicopter and transported to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, Oregon, for continued medical care.