Runner saved in ‘urgent’ rescue after collapsing on Timberline Trail

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Thirty-three miles into their run, two people were saved by search and rescue teams early Saturday morning on Timberline Trail after one runner collapsed — facing a potentially “life-threatening” heat-related illness, according to Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.

The runners, who are brother and sister, left Timberline Lodge at dawn on Aug. 2, trekking the 41-mile trail which wraps around Mt. Hood with elevations varying from 3,200 feet to 7,300 feet, officials said.

After receiving an alert that the 25-year-old man became sick and collapsed, search and rescue teams “put in some serious miles” to help.

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The situation became “more urgent” as the runners only planned to be on the trail for 16 hours and had no additional food, clothing, or supplies to spend a night high on the mountain, officials said, noting the day started out hot, but temperatures were falling quickly after sunset.

Using a newer-model iPhone, the runner’s sister used the emergency satellite communication feature to text 911.

Around 9 p.m., search and rescue teams left the Ramona Falls Trailhead, with one team packing a wheeled Stokes litter in case the man was unable to walk on his own, and another team in charge of setting up tight rope handlines at the two crossings of the Sandy River.

Just after midnight, the first rescue team found the runners nearly five miles from the parking lot in a steep uphill below the Paradise Park section of the trail.

After crews gave the man electrolytes, fluids, and food, they helped the runners return to the trailhead at 3 a.m.

The sheriff’s office noted the siblings are experienced marathoners, adding “While most hikers attempt the Timberline Trail as a three- or four-day backpacking trip, it has become quite popular among ultrarunners to try to complete it as a one-day trail run.”

“This mission had a great outcome, and it provides a teachable moment: Prepare for the worst even if you don’t think it’s necessary,” the sheriff’s office said. “If you’re attempting an ambitious hike or run, be sure to pack out emergency items including a headlamp, emergency blanket or bivy, a first-aid kit, extra food and fluids, and a wilderness satellite-communications tool.”

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