In this image provided by the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, rescuers help with rescue efforts after a vehicle went down an embankment on U.S. Forest Service Highway 39 in Oregon on June 3, 2024. Authorities said a dog helped rescue its owner after the accident, traveling about four miles to a campsite where the man was staying with his family and letting them know something was wrong. (Baker County Sheriff’s Office via The Associated Press)
Baker County Sheriff’s Office/AP
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Baker County Sheriff’s Office/AP
BAKER COUNTY, Ore. — Authorities say a dog helped rescue its owner after he was involved in a car crash in a rugged canyon in the northeastern Oregon mountains.
The Baker County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release on Facebook that a man was driving with four dogs on a remote U.S. Forest Service road on June 2 when he crashed into a ravine below. One of the dogs drove about four miles to a campsite where the man was staying with his family and alerted police that something was wrong, according to the release.
A family member found the car the next day, but was unable to access it due to the rugged terrain and called 911. When police arrived on scene, they heard cries for help and found the man about 100 yards from the vehicle. The man was able to crawl out of the vehicle after the crash, according to the release.
U.S. Forest Service crews used chainsaws to clear vegetation to allow search and rescue teams to set up an intricate rope system from one side of the ravine to the other. Once they reached the man, authorities placed him on a rescue stretcher and attached him to ropes, which they then used as a pulley system to transport him to the other side of the river below, according to photos shared by the sheriff’s office.
The man was transported by helicopter to an area hospital, and the three other dogs were found alive at the crash scene, authorities said.
