An Oregon man whose truck plummeted into a ravine was rescued earlier this week, and has his dog to thank.
On Sunday, Brandon Garrett was on his way to a campsite with four dogs in Baker County, Oregon, when his vehicle plunged over an embankment, the Baker County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release. One of his dogs headed out from the scene of the crash and traveled almost 4 miles to the campsite, where Garrett’s fellow campers were waiting.
The dog’s face was embedded with glass, according to local news provider Elkhorn Media Group. A search for Garrett began, but the area’s heavily wooded terrain made things difficult. Garrett wasn’t located until the next morning, when brother Tyree Garrett spotted him at the bottom of the ravine as “buckets of rain” poured down.
“I couldn’t believe that truck had rolled down that far and he had made it through it,” Tyree Garrett told Elkhorn Media Group. “He’s 62, so that’s pretty incredible.”
Brandon Garrett had managed to crawl about 100 yards away from the vehicle, the sheriff’s office said. His three other dogs were also at the scene, alive. The sheriff’s office worked with the U.S. Forest Service and local emergency response crews to rescue Garrett. The complex operation involved clearing a path with chainsaws, securing Garrett in a basket and using a rope system to pull him across the ravine. He was then taken by helicopter to a hospital.
Garrett has since been released from the hospital and is recovering, his brother said. Sheriff spokesperson Ashley McClay told the Baker City Herald that two of Garrett’s dogs sustained injuries and are under veterinary care.
