Climber swept down mountain after triggering avalanche, Oregon rescuers say

A climber injured in a fall after triggering a small avalanche on Oregon’s South Sister had to be airlifted off the peak the next morning, officials say.

The 23-year-old man from Ithaca, N.Y., called 911 at 6:54 p.m. local time Saturday, June 18, to report the avalanche sent him tumbling down the north face of the 10,358-foot mountain, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said in a Sunday news release.

Poor weather conditions prevented rescuers from sending a helicopter, and the terrain was too treacherous for a ground rescue at night, officials said.

The man, who had a tent and sleeping bag, settled in to await rescue, the release said. A ground team set out at 1 a.m. to climb the 9,100 feet to the injured hiker.

Rescuers reached the man at 8:50 a.m. Sunday, June 19, and moved him to a glacier where an Oregon Army National Guard helicopter could hoist him to safety.

The helicopter retrieved the injured hiker about 11:30 a.m. and flew him to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend. The release had no information on his medical condition.

South Sister, the third-tallest mountain in Oregon, is the highest of the Three Sisters.

This story was originally published June 20, 2022 at 10:33 AM with the headline "Climber swept down mountain after triggering avalanche, Oregon rescuers say."