Stranded Climber Rescued From Broken Top After Overnight Mission

BEND, Ore. — A 34-year-old Bend man was rescued from the steep, rocky terrain above the crater of Broken Top after an overnight search-and-rescue operation that involved Deschutes County Search and Rescue volunteers, AirLink and the Oregon Army National Guard.

Deschutes County 911 received a report of the stranded climber at approximately 3:15 p.m. on Oct. 23, 2026. Although the man was familiar with the area and had climbed Broken Top before, conditions had changed significantly. A lack of snow and unstable, crumbling rock created hazardous conditions he was not equipped to navigate, and he did not have the appropriate climbing gear.

Deschutes County Search and Rescue deployed four experienced members of its Mountain Rescue Unit to assist the man. Because of the technical difficulty of the terrain, officials also requested helicopter-hoist assistance from the Oregon Army National Guard.

The National Guard could not conduct a hoist that evening because of the high altitude and limited daylight but offered to return at first light the following morning. With temperatures near freezing and concerns about the risk of hypothermia, rescuers determined that immediate ground assistance was necessary.

At 6:20 p.m., two Mountain Rescue Unit members were flown by AirLink to a landing zone on Broken Top’s northwest ridge. Two additional rescuers arrived at the same location at 7:04 p.m.

The four rescuers divided into two climbing teams before eventually joining forces along a single route. Their progress was slowed by extremely loose rock, steep slopes, exposed cliffs, cold temperatures and darkness.

Rescuers reached the stranded climber at 2:13 a.m. on Oct. 24. They secured him with appropriate climbing equipment before beginning the climb back toward the summit along the route they had established. The team reached the summit with the man at approximately 6:30 a.m.

At 9:06 a.m., an Oregon Army National Guard helicopter arrived at the summit and hoisted the climber and two rescuers to the West Village parking lot at Mt. Bachelor. Bend Fire and Rescue personnel were standing by to provide medical assistance.

The helicopter returned to the summit at 10:02 a.m. to hoist the remaining two rescuers, transporting them to the same location.

No medical treatment was required for the climber or any of the rescuers.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office thanked the Search and Rescue volunteers, the state search-and-rescue coordinator with the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, AirLink and the Oregon Army National Guard for their coordinated efforts in bringing the operation to a safe conclusion.