REDMOND, OR -- A 34-year-old Redmond man was rescued after a fall at Smith Rock State Park Monday evening. He was reportedly an avid climber and was just about to hook in to a rope system when the fall occurred.  While on scene, witnesses told responding units they saw the male fall around 50 feet and then roll another 40 feet over several rocks prior to coming to a rest at the base of the cliff.  

A call came in to 911 Dispatch at around 6:40 p.m. regarding an injured climber on a trail below an unimproved climbing area just north of the area known as “Student Wall.” He was injured in a fall, which prevented him from climbing out without assistance.  

Deschutes County Search and Rescue determined the SAR Mountain Rescue Unit (MRU) technical team would be needed because the climber was at the bottom of a cliff and the best recovery was to bring the patient up the cliff face.   

The SAR team responded at about 8 p.m. Redmond Fire and Rescue was able to hike in and made initial patient contact while DCSO SAR MRU set up an extrication system of ropes and a litter to bring the patient up approximately 110 feet of cliff face. They note SAR units accessed the “Burma Road” side of the canyon via private property with the permission of the owner.   

By 10:30 pm the patient was placed in the litter and extracted with ropes via the cliff face to a waiting ambulance. He was turned over to the care of Redmond Fire and Rescue just after 11 p.m.  

DCSO SAR thanks Redmond Fire and Rescue as well as the private property owner for their assistance during this difficult and technical mission.