BAKER COUNTY, Ore. — A dog helped rescue its owner after a car accident in a steep ravine in the mountains of northeastern Oregon, authorities said.
A man was driving on a remote U.S. Forest Service road with his four dogs on June 2 when they crashed into a ravine below, the Baker County Sheriff's Office said in a news release on Facebook. One of the dogs traveled nearly four miles to the campsite where the man was staying with his family, which alerted them that something was wrong, the release said.
His family found his car the next day and called 911 because they were unable to access it due to steep terrain. When authorities arrived, they heard the man screaming for help and found him about 100 yards from the car. He was able to crawl out of the car after the crash, the news release said.
U.S. Forest Service workers used chainsaws to cut a path through the vegetation for search and rescue teams who set up an intricate rope system that stretched from one side of the valley to the other. Once they were able to reach the man, authorities placed him on a rescue stretcher and hung him on ropes. These ropes were then used as a pulley system to transport him to the other side of the valley as the stream roared below. The photos are as follows: The sheriff's office showed it.
Authorities said the man was airlifted to a local hospital. His three other dogs were found alive at the scene of the accident.