PCT hiker Hassan Falsafi, 57, of Weaverville, CA was rescued in the Diamond Peaks Wilderness area of Deschutes National Forest, OR by Douglas County Search and Rescue at 4:15 a.m. on Saturday, October 22nd, 2022. According to a Douglas County Sheriff’s Office press release, Falsafi had called 911 the previous evening to report that he had been caught in a weather front and was experiencing symptoms of hypothermia. He told dispatchers that all of his camping supplies, including his clothing and sleeping bag, had been drenched from the storm. The press release described Falsafi as a PCT thru-hiker.
Klamath County Search and Rescue (SAR) initially received the call but requested at around 10 p.m. that Douglas County SAR respond because they lacked the proper resources. Douglas County SAR arrived at the PCT trailhead at Summit Lake and encountered worsening weather conditions as they hiked north toward Falsafi’s location. By the time they reached Falsafi, the temperature had dropped to 30 degrees Fahrenheit and snow had begun to accumulate.
Douglas County SAR treated Falsafi on-site for moderate hypothermia, and after his condition improved, they escorted him back to the trailhead. They returned to the trailhead at approximately seven a.m., where a warm car was waiting for him. After it was determined that an ambulance was not necessary, Falsafi was transported to Roseburg, where he arranged to be met by his family.
Featured image: Photos via Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
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