CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK – A man who said he broke his leg at Crater Lake National Park triggered an extensive search and rescue operation at the Oregon park.
Two hikers called 911 after hearing a man calling for help from the waterline at 9 p.m. on July 12, 2025, according to the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office.
Search and rescue teams from both Klamath and Jackson counties responded, but it was too dark and steep to rope down safely that night. Early the next morning, rescue crews worked to find him, but authorities say locating him was “extremely difficult,” as they could hear him yelling occasionally but could not hone in on him.
A Blackhawk helicopter crew from the Oregon National Guard that had been training in the area was called in to help with the search. Eventually, the man contacted a park worker in a boat. He was brought to a dock and was evaluated by medics.
Surprisingly, despite claiming that he had broken his leg, the 26-year-old Chinese national who was visiting from Delaware declined transport to the hospital.
The man “was not particularly cooperative with responders and provided limited information about how he ended up at the waterline,” said the sheriff’s office. “His vehicle was found at Waterman Point, and he was located near Discovery Point—about a mile away as the crow flies.”
Currently, there’s still access to the lake, but major renovations to the trail and the docks will close access next summer (2026).
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