A 19-year-old female hiker was rescued at Crater Lake on Friday after sustaining a knee injury.

According to Grand County Search and Rescue (GCSAR), members responded with Grand County EMS and the Grand County Sheriff’s Office at 2:59 p.m. to the hiker at Crater Lake, which is about 7.5 miles from the Monarch Lake trailhead.

The 19-year-old had sustained the knee injury while hiking and was not able to make it back to the trailhead. Although there is no cell service in the area, she was able to text 911 through satellite from her phone. She said that she did not have any warm clothes or rain gear, had no water left and was not prepared to stay the night.

GCSAR and the Mountain Medical Response Team prepared a team to hike in and locate the subject, and requested help from Flight For Life (FFL). Although weather initially prevented a response via helicopter, FFL was eventually able to assist after it cleared. FFL landed at the Monarch Lake dam and took a GCSAR member to Crater Lake.

The subject was located at 5:21 p.m. and loaded onto the helicopter. SAR members hiked back down to the Monarch Lake trailhead, and all teams were out of the field by 7:30 p.m.

In a Facebook post, GCSAR reminded those who recreate in the backcountry that they need to carry the appropriate gear in case of emergency and that the weather in the mountains can change rapidly and unexpectedly.

“It could take hours for SAR to reach you in the backcountry,” reads the post. “Had Flight For Life been unable to assist, it would have taken well over 8 hours for SAR to complete the 15-mile round trip hike and carry the subject out to the trailhead.”

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