A 69-year-old hiker collapsed and died on a hiking trail west of Sisters early Monday morning.
Despite efforts to revive him, 69-year-old Robert Wayne Powell of Sisters died before he could be evacuated from the Pole Cat Trail about 15 miles west of Sisters.
Powell was hiking with a pair of younger companions, 19-year old Zander Albertson of Sisters and Parker Bennett, also 19, when he collapsed on the trail. The hiking partners called for medical attention, however would-be rescuers were delayed by the heavy timber in the area which prevented a Life Flight helicopter from landing in the vicinity. The party was eventually located about two miles from the Pole Cat trailhead by medical personnel traveling on foot. A short time later medics from the Sisters-Camp Sherman area consulted with emergency room personnel who advised the first responders to suspend resuscitation efforts.
