Broken Top climber injured in fall
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, July 10, 2018
- (Submitted photo/Deschutes County Sheriff's Office)
An Oregon City woman was rescued Sunday morning after falling near the summit of Broken Top mountain west of Bend.
At about 9:30 a.m., several people on the mountain called 911 to report that a woman had fallen and sustained serious injuries. They also reported that, though anchored, she was in a precarious position near a 60- to 70-foot cliff, according to a Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office press release.
Sarah Rask, 29, had gone off-trail and lost her footing, in the process grabbing a rock the size of a mini-refrigerator. The rock gave way as Rask fell about 25 feet, then rolled over her.
Due to Rask’s injuries and position on the mountain, the sheriff’s office requested help from the Oregon National Guard in addition to the 17 search and rescue volunteers who responded to the scene. The Guard sent a Salem-based Black Hawk helicopter to the summit of Broken Top, which stands nearly 9,200 feet. Rask was hoisted from the mountain and flown to St. Charles Bend for treatment.