Dog walks 4 miles to alert family that its owner crashed into ravine, Oregon cops say
A man’s dog walked 4 miles back to his family’s campsite after he crashed into a ravine in Oregon, deputies said.
The man was driving on U.S. Forest Service Road 39 with his four dogs June 2 when he “failed to negotiate a curve” and drove off an embankment, the Baker County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
He crawled about 300 feet from his truck and spent the night in the ravine, deputies said.
One of his dogs walked back to his family’s campsite, which alerted them to start searching for him after he never returned, deputies said.
His family discovered his truck, and his brother reported it to authorities. At the time, they couldn’t reach the vehicle or find their loved one because the ravine was so steep, deputies said.
When rescuers got to the scene and started looking for a way into the ravine, deputies said they heard someone yelling for help.
They found the man hundreds of feet away from the vehicle, above the creek. His three other dogs were also found alive.
Firefighters and U.S. Forest Service workers had to clear a path for rescuers to reach the man, deputies said.
Rescuers put him into a rescue basket, connected him to a highline rope and pulled him across the ravine, deputies said.
He was airlifted to a hospital.
“No internal injuries or broken bones. He’s banged up, possibly a concussion. But otherwise is fine,” Lisa Marie Steele commented on Facebook.
“2 of the dogs have broken bones and will heal. They’re at a vet in LA grande,” Steele wrote.
Baker County is in northeast Oregon.
This story was originally published June 5, 2024 at 11:59 AM with the headline "Dog walks 4 miles to alert family that its owner crashed into ravine, Oregon cops say."
