A blind hiker and his guide dog who were stranded for several days due to heat on an Oregon hiking trail have been rescued to safety by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew.
The U.S. Coast Guard’s Pacific Northwest branch said an aircraft crew rescued a 55-year-old man and his dog from the Rogue River Trail in southwest Oregon.
Authorities said the hiker, who is legally blind, began hiking with a friend and a guide dog on July 3 and began experiencing symptoms of heatstroke on July 6.
Without cell phone reception, the friend left food and water for the unidentified man and his dog, then headed to Gold Beach and called 911, authorities said.
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U.S. Coast Guard aviators from North Bend rescued a 55-year-old man and his dog from the Rogue River Trail in southwest Oregon. (Josephine County Sheriff’s Office/U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest)
But because of the remote location, rescuers were not able to send help until Monday, when friends arrived.
Bureau of Land Management forest rangers and two Josephine County Sheriff’s Office deputies walked six miles to rescue the hiker early Monday morning, and by 9 a.m. local time, the man and his dog had been found.
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On Monday, an aircraft crew rescued a 55-year-old blind man and his guide dog from the Rogue River Trail in southwest Oregon. (U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest)
Officials said the remote location necessitated a rescue plan involving a Coast Guard helicopter crew.
Authorities said rescue swimmers and baskets were dropped from a helicopter because the hikers were unable to walk and the terrain was too rough for wheeled transport vehicles.
The hiker and her dog were then picked up by flight crew and taken to safety at the emergency medical center at Grants Pass Airport.
The sheriff’s office added that the hiker was experienced but became ill due to the extreme heat.
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A guide dog and his companion after being rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard in North Bend this week are safe. (Josephine County Sheriff’s Office)
Commander Jay Kilcher, the pilot who led the rescue team, told Fox News Digital that it was remarkable that the hiker and his friend did everything right while waiting to be rescued.
““I think the important thing is he did exactly the right thing, which was to stay there and stick to the plan that he and his friends came up with. If he had tried to run away a day or two after his friends left, we may never have found him,” Kircher said.
Kircher also shared a fun moment from the rescue, when he pulled a hiker and his dog to safety.
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“As the basket came up into the cabin, Tim, the flight mechanic, turned it towards me, and I could see the dog’s head sticking out of the basket and he seemed to perk up a little,” Kircher said. “You’re not used to seeing an animal come up when you’re doing the hoist operation.”
