A dog is being hailed as a hero by Oregon authorities for running four miles to alert camp members after a fellow camper’s vehicle plunged into a ravine.
According to a news release posted on Facebook by the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, Brandon Garrett was traveling north on U.S. Forest Service Road on June 2 with his four dogs when he failed to negotiate a curve. His vehicle tumbled off an embankment into shallow water.
Deputies said that Garrett was able to crawl approximately 100 yards from his vehicle and remained there overnight.
According to the sheriff’s office, one of his dogs ran four miles to Garrett’s camp and alerted family members.
Garrett’s relatives began searching for him and located the man on June 3 but were unable to access the vehicle due to the rocky and difficult terrain, People reported.
Garrett and the other three dogs were alive, so family members called for help at about 9:30 a.m. PDT, according to the magazine.
According to the sheriff’s office, Sheriff Travis Ash arrived at the scene and located Garrett in the steep, brushy ravine after the man called for help. The sheriff rendered first aid, and Pine Valley Rural Fire volunteers and employees with the U.S. Forest Service used chainsaws to clear a path for the rescue effort.
Members of the Baker County Search and Rescue Ropes Team loaded and secured Garrett into a rescue basket, the sheriff’s office said. Garrett was connected to a highline rope system and was pulled across the ravine.
Garrett was taken by ambulance to a helicopter, which airlifted him to an area hospital. The three dogs were also rescued and were unharmed, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office did not specify the nature of Garrett’s injuries, or how serious they were. They also provided little information about the dog who contacted Garrett’s relatives, including its breed.
“We really don’t deserve dogs,” one person wrote on Reddit. “We are lucky to have them.”
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