PRINEVILLE, OR -- Crook County Search and Rescue teams remain busy, helping drivers stranded on mountain roads unmaintained in the winter.
Sunday morning, SAR responded to the Ochocos near Walton Lake, about 30 miles east of Prineville, after two people used GPS to navigate down a rarely used road and got stuck. The caller used the "SOS feature" on their cell phone, providing a GPS location to Crook County 911 dispatchers. The team responded with snowmobiles, a tracked side-by-side and 10 SAR members.
The pair was brought back to Prineville where they could make arrangements for a tow to get their vehicle. CCSO SAR says, "If the road seems unplowed or little used, be cautious and don't be afraid to turn around. Your GPS won't be mad, it will just recalculate your route."
Tuesday night, the team responded to the Mill Creek/Harvey Gap area (pictured), about 20 miles north of Prineville after a caller reported a man and his toddler were overdue. Calls to the man's cell phone went to voicemail and a "ping" of his phone did not provide useful information. The team of 12 members deployed with five vehicles, snowmobiles and a tracked side-by-side.
A deputy found fresh tracks in the snow on FS Rd 33, heading into the Harvey Gap area, but the road was too slippery for vehicles to proceed. After an arduous climb in the tracked vehicle, the team found the father and son. The crew decided it was best to continue over the gap, due to the steep terrain, and they met the rest of the team on the other side, at the 27 road.
