An Oregon man who crashed his car over an embankment was found and rescued after his dog ran four miles to alert family members at a nearby campsite that something was wrong, officials said.
Brandon Garrett was traveling north on U.S. Forest Service Road 39 with his four dogs on Sunday night when he "failed to negotiate a curve" and crashed over an embankment, according to the Baker County Sheriff's Office. While Garrett was able to crawl about 100 yards from the wrecked vehicle, where he remained overnight, one of his dogs ran four miles to their camp and alerted family members.
Garrett's relatives then set out to search for him, and finally located his vehicle on Monday. Garrett and his three other dogs were found alive, but the family couldn't reach them due to the terrain. They called for help around 9:30 a.m. Monday.
Sheriff's deputies responded to the scene along with Baker County Search and Rescue, Pine Valley Rural Fire District and Halfway Ambulance. Sheriff Travis Ash located the vehicle and a dog in the "steep, brushy ravine," and as he was searching for an access point, heard Garrett calling for help.
Animal stories
Ash rendered first aid while Pine Valley Rural Fire volunteers and U.S. Forest Service employees used chainsaws to clear a path for rescuers. Once the team was able to reach Garrett, they loaded him into a rescue basket and used a highline rope system to pull him across the ravine.
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Garrett was transported by ambulance to a nearby Life Flight helicopter and airlifted to a hospital, the sheriff's office said. The sheriff's office did not specify the nature of his injuries, or his condition.
