A man was rescued Friday afternoon after reportedly being lost in the Oregon wilderness for four days, found wrapped in a sleeping bag in the middle of a remote forest road in the Marion County backcountry. One of his footprints in the snow appeared to be barefoot, a detail that set off an urgent, miles-long search along the Pacific Crest Trail near Breitenbush Lake.
According to the Marion County Sheriff's Office, Forest Patrol Deputy Ramseyer was patrolling near Breitenbush Lake when he spotted footprints in the snow along the trail. As reported by KOIN, the deputy noticed that one of the tracks looked barefoot, and that detail was enough to make him worried about whoever had left them.
That concern sent Deputy Ramseyer following the trail of prints for nearly five miles through the forest. The tracking effort ended when he located a man wrapped in a sleeping bag in the middle of Forest Service Road 4220, according to the sheriff's office. The man had reportedly been lost in the wilderness for four days before he was found.
Treated for Frostbite and Hypothermia
Medics transported the man to Detroit, Oregon, and took him to Santiam Hospital, where he was being treated for frostbite and hypothermia, the sheriff's office said. The Marion County Sheriff's Office credited the deputy's attentiveness and quick action with likely saving the man's life.
The Marion County Forest Patrol team works to keep Marion County forest lands safe, and in its post about the rescue, the office urged wilderness visitors to carry an inReach or similar emergency communication device when heading into the backcountry. The agency also warned that weather conditions can change suddenly at higher elevations, a hazard that has turned deadly before along the same stretch of trail.
A Familiar Stretch of Trail
This is not the first time a lost hiker has been found near Breitenbush Lake after days in dangerous conditions. In October 2019, Marion County Sheriff's Search and Rescue deputies Mark Knospe and Mark Ferran rescued a 50-year-old East Coast backpacker named Robb Campbell after spotting and tracking his fresh footprints in the same area, according to the Statesman Journal.
Campbell had become lost in a snowstorm and wandered seven miles off the Pacific Crest Trail, the outlet reported. He had been lost since Thursday and found temporary shelter inside a pit toilet at Breitenbush Lake before deputies reached him that Friday afternoon, and he ultimately suffered severe frostbite on one foot. Campbell had called 911 when he realized how much trouble he was in, and the operator was able to triangulate his location using a satellite connection.
The Statesman Journal's report also noted that at least 17 deaths have been recorded along the Pacific Crest Trail, though the newspaper said the full tally has never been formally documented. It is a grim reminder of how quickly a hike through Oregon's high country can turn life-threatening once winter weather moves in.
Search efforts like the one that found this week's hiker are not unique to Oregon. In a separate incident in late September, a five-person crew hiked eight miles on foot overnight to reach a hypothermic man who was unable to walk during a winter storm, according to The News Tribune. The case underscores how rescue teams across the region continue to face long, grueling treks to reach stranded hikers before conditions become fatal.
