Bend airport to Christmas Valley is only 57NM, and the airport is at 4320 MSL. All well within the performance envelope of a maximum GWT B3. Weather was 6000 SCT to clear, however, high winds in the area gusting to 30 knots. Also, note the RFM HIGE/HOGE performance charts stipulate: NO WIND.
FWIW, the pictures I have seen seem to show the wreckage off aiport near a road.
I have heard 4th crew was in training and if the patient wasn't a child, could have been left at the airport with the ambulance crew (that is not that unusual in the HAA world I came from).