BEND, Ore. -- A Washington state man who mistakenly skied well outside the Mt. Bachelor boundary contacted the ski patrol with his handheld radio Tuesday afternoon, prompting a four-hour search and rescue effort that found him safe and sound at the AC/DC Nordic ski shelter, officials said.
Shortly before 4 p.m. Deschutes County 911 dispatchers received a call from the Mt. Bachelor Ski Patrol, who advised they had been in contact with an “out of bounds” skier identified as Daniel “Dai” Gorman, 41, of Lynnwood, Wash., said Deputy Mike Biondi, assistant coordinator for the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue unit.
Gorman had contacted the ski patrol using a handheld FRS (Family Radio Service) radio, saying he missed the “catch line” at Mt. Bachelor and believed he was at the AC/DC shelter, well southeast of the mountain, Biondi said.
Since the shelter is outside the ski resort’s boundary, the ski patrol contacted the sheriff’s office to assist.
Two deputies and 16 SAR volunteers began to search for Gorman using snowmobiles, snowshoes and skis, Biondi said
Gorman was found at the shelter around 8 p.m., the deputy said. He was unhurt, so he was provided snowshoes and walked to a snowmobile trail, where he was picked up and taken by snowmobile to the Edison Sno-Park, Biondi said.
Deputies later learned Gorman had been skiing with friends and was told to continue skiing ot the southeast, which took him more than 1 ½ miles past the “catch line,” Biondi said.
He then made his way to the Edison Butte Nordic skiing area, where he was able to contact the ski patrol with his radio. They directed him to the shelter and called 911.
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