Bend, Ore. – All 3 of the hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail have been located and are fine. They were unaware that searchers were out looking for them.
Search and Rescue Update This Afternoon:
LOCATED:
Sarah Morris, Mary Zakheim and Angela Zakheim all from Spokane, WA.
This morning..as part of the continuing measured response, two volunteers from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, deployed on horse back south bound on the Pacific Crest Trail from Elk Lake resort in an attempt to contact the hiking party. The group was located on the trail at about 9:30 a.m. and about 9 miles south of Elk Lake Resort.
The group was having no problems and was unaware their phone message had triggered any response from Search and Rescue.
The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the public that 911 is always the best call to make when an emergency arises. However, cell phone coverage in the wilderness is unreliable and calls for help even through unofficial channels are taken seriously.
In these cases, vague information leads to multiple scenarios that must be worked through for emergency response personnel such as Search and Rescue. Please be specific with what type of help is needed and whether or not emergency personnel are needed on scene.
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Previous News Release:
Deschutes County, Ore. – A team of 4 volunteers from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue and 3 more Volunteers from Lane County SAR spent the day looking for a group of three hikers who left a voice mail message with the Pacific Crest Trail Association stating that they had lost the trail in the area of Lilly Lake and needed a call back.
Attempts to contact the group by phone have been unsuccessful most likely due to poor cell phone coverage in the area. After the SAR volunteers scouted the Lilly lake area today, it was believed the hiking group was able to re-acquire the trail and continued their trek toward Elk Lake, no longer needing assistance.
Efforts to contact the group will continue on a measured basis over the next 24 hours until their location and status can be verified at which time additional information will be released.
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