Wednesday, March 11, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
RESCUE: Men faced
serious threat from
extreme cold
Continued from page 1
Backcountry Inc.
When DCSO SAR teams
arrived at the hut at about
9:31 p.m., it was confirmed
there was no one at the shel-
ter, nor were there any fresh
tracks in the snow in the
immediate area. Four of the
six snowmobile riders then
deployed on skis to check
the cross country trail in both
directions that pass by the
hut.
At about 9:49 p.m., two
DCSO SAR Volunteer ski-
ers located fresh tracks in
the snow. At about 10:15
p.m., not one, but two male
Nordic skiers were located
about .25 miles south of the
Happy Hut shelter. One of
the skiers, Ted Gifford, 63,
of Green Bay, Wisconsin,
was suffering from a life-
threatening condition as a
result of the temperature and
snow conditions. The second
skier, Robert Skille, 73, of
Silverton, Oregon, was found
in much better condition, but
still extremely cold. DCSO
SAR volunteers immediately
began warming efforts with
Gifford.
It was learn ed th at
Gifford and Skille had been
on a multi-day backcountry
Nordic ski trip with planned
overnight stops at the various
Three Sisters Backcountry
warming shelters. They
began their trip on Tuesday,
March 5, but were never
able to find their Tuesday
night shelter, forcing them
to take cover overnight in
a tree well. They also had
lost one of their cell phones,
leaving them with only one
cell phone with question-
able service. They attempted
numerous times to call out on
their cell phone without suc-
cess, before finally getting
through with the one broken
911 call.
DCSO SAR volunteers on
scene with Gifford and Skille
quickly determined Gifford
would not be able to move on
his own and requested addi-
tional volunteers respond to
their location to help trans-
port him via rescue sled
to the closest snowmobile
trail. Five additional DCSO
SAR Volunteers responded
to the skiers9 location to
assist with the sled transport
of Gifford.
Gifford was transported
via rescue sled approximately
300 yards through deep snow
and arduous conditions,
where volunteers were able
to transfer him to an enclosed
and heated ambu-sled. The
ambu-sled was then trans-
ported via snowmobile back
to Mt. Bachelor parking lot,
arriving at approximately
2:30 a.m.
This tragedy should
serve as a solemn
reminder of the inherent
dangers associated
with recreating in
the backcountry,
especially during cold
weather events.
Bend Fire Department
Personnel were standing by
and both Gifford and Skille
were transferred to their care
as soon as they arrived. Skille
had been able to hike to the
snowmobile trail with DCSO
SAR volunteers and was
transported down the moun-
tain on a snowmobile capable
of carrying two riders.
Air Ambulances were
unable to fly due to the
weather conditions. Bend
Fire transported both Gifford
and Skille to St. Charles
Hospital in Bend for further
treatment.
The Deschutes County
S h e r i ff 9s O ff i c e l a t e r
announced that Gifford died
on the evening of March 8.
Skille was treated on March
7 and was released.
The Deschutes County
Sheriff 9s Office thanked
the Sisters Sno-Gopher
Snowmobile Club, who had
a trail groomer in the area,
which was able to groom the
trails between Dutchman Flat
through Snowmobile Trail
8 near the area of Happy
Hut Shelter. This facilitated
a quicker/safer response.
DCSO SAR Coordinator Lt.
Bryan husband expressed
<great sadness= at Gifford9s
death and noted that, <This
tragedy should serve as a sol-
emn reminder of the inher-
ent dangers associated with
recreating in the backcoun-
try, especially during cold
weather events.=
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