Injured 14-year-old hiker carried through snowy ‘fallen trees’ in OR. See the rescue

A 14-year-old and her dad were rescued after she was unable to hike back to a trailhead in Oregon, officials said.

The U.S. Coast Guard in Seattle received reports on June 16 of a teen who had suffered a severe knee injury in Deschutes National Forest, according to a June 17 news release.

A helicopter was dispatched from Coast Guard Air Station Astoria to help with the rescue, officials said.

Rescuers were lowered a quarter of a mile from the hikers’ location after “steep terrain” and “tree height” exceeded the “helicopter’s hoist cable length,” officials said.

Rescue teams eventually found the man, his daughter and a dog, officials said.

The teen was carried through the “fallen trees, rocks and snow back to the hoisting area,” rescuers said.

Air personnel hoisted the teen, her father and the dog into the helicopter and took them to the Redmond Municipal Airport, where medical personnel were waiting, officials said.

Rescuers said the teen was in stable condition.

“This was an incredibly challenging but rewarding rescue,” Lt. Cmdr. Jason Weeks said in the release. “The environment in this region posed significant challenges but, because of our constant training for dynamic conditions such as these, we were able to work together as an effective team and complete our mission successfully. This aircrew consisted of three dads, so it was very heartwarming to, on Father’s Day, to play a role in the safe return of a father and his daughter back to safety.”

The Coast Guard urges the public to remember to carry a form of communication, file a travel plan, and carry appropriate gear when going outdoors, officials said.

Deschutes National Forest is about a 160-mile drive southeast of Portland.

This story was originally published June 18, 2024 at 2:26 PM with the headline "Injured 14-year-old hiker carried through snowy ‘fallen trees’ in OR. See the rescue."