Early Wednesday morning, May 31st, a call was received by the Curry County Sheriff’s Office 911 Dispatch at about 7:22am regarding an emergency SPOT activation triggered by an employee with Hammer Environmental in the Grassy Knob area about seven miles east of US Highway 101 just north of Port Orford.
The caller stated that the activation was triggered by twenty-five-year-old Brenan Waters who was working in a rugged, steep and heavily forested area, had fallen and was injured. Curry County Sheriff’s Office 911 Dispatch was also advised that another contractor working in the same area went in and tried to locate Waters, but at the time, could not locate him.
Curry County Search and Rescue were dispatched along with Cal Ore Life Flight Ambulance, and while enroute, the Search and Rescue coordinator was informed that Waters had been located but it would take a large crew to pack him out of the location.
Curry County Search and Rescue requested air support by Reach Air 19 and the US Coast Guard as search crews including the Curry County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team, a brush crew that was working in the area, the Sixes River Fire Department, and members of the U.S. Forest Service with a medic from Cal Ore Ambulance and a flight medic from Air Reach, made their way down to Waters with the search crews and stabilized him.
In order for the US Coast Guard to lower a rescue swimmer down to Waters, Waters needed to be packed several hundred yards away to a semi open area, and after being on scene for some time, the Coast Guard helicopter had to leave to refuel.
Upon the Coast Guard helicopter’s return, Waters, who was alert but suffering from injuries sustained in the fall, was lifted out and transported to North Bend where he was taken to Bay Area Hospital.
