The Coos County Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of a helicopter rescue crew from the U.S. Coast Guard station North Bend to transport an injured individual hiking the John Dellenback Trail in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area just before noon Saturday, August 28th.
According to information from the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, the Coos County Dispatch Center received a call from citizens hiking the John Dellenback Trail who had come upon a 54 year old man who was suffering from a neck and back injury.
The victim reportedly stated that he had been stranded in the area for 5 days after sustaining the injuries in a fall off of a dune in the sand, and in addition to the neck and back injuries was also suffering from dehydration.
First responding ambulance personnel and crews from the Lakeside Fire Department were able to hike into an area not easily accessible by vehicles, and after locating the individual, provided medical aid to stabilize the victim and create an extraction plan.
Deputies from the Coos County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene and attempted to assist in the formulation of a plan, and being in an environment inaccessible to even all terrain vehicles, the Coos County Sheriff’s Office contacted U.S. Coast Guard station North Bend and a helicopter crew was dispatched to the scene.
The victim was then loaded and evacuated from the Oregon Dunes National Recreation area by the Coast Guard helicopter crew and transported to Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay.
