Mount McLoughlin Hikers Rescued as SAR Warns of Dehydration and Exhaustion Risks

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. — Two hikers were rescued on the Mount McLoughlin summit trail by Search and Rescue (SAR) volunteers from Jackson County Sheriff’s Office on the Fourth of July.

In one operation, SAR team members assisted a hiker in severe distress. In the second incident, bottled water left along the summit trail by SAR volunteers saved a woman from dehydration.

Fourth of July Attracts Heavy Trail Use

According to the JCSO, the Fourth of July weekend attracts heavy trail use. SAR volunteers have to contend with issues such as dehydration, exhaustion, altitude-related illness, inadequate physical preparation, and poor nutrition.

Volunteers from both Jackson and the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office patrol the Mount McLoughlin summit trail over the holiday weekend. They carry extra supplies of water, electrolytes, and high-energy snacks to assist hikers in distress.

At 2.30 p.m. on the Fourth of July, SAR members encountered a family who reported a hiker in severe distress. He was being assisted down the mountain by another solo hiker.

SAR Spent Nearly Four Hours Stabilizing the Hiker

SAR located the 39-year-old man 45 minutes later. He was suffering from severe weakness, nausea, incontinence, a minor head laceration, and a mild left ankle sprain.

The rescue team spent nearly four hours providing medical care and support to stabilize the man, enabling him to hike back safely to the trailhead with a SAR escort.

Around dusk, a woman returning to the trailhead reported that she had run out of water during her descent from the summit. The bottled water that SAR members left along the trail saved her from dehydration enabled her to complete the hike unassisted.

Anyone interested in joining SAR should complete the application form here.