On Saturday, September 21st, 2024 at approximately 8:34am, TIllamook 911 received a distress signal from a fifty-nine-year old bow hunter, from Warren, Oregon, who had fallen and suffered a broken leg. The man was carrying a Garmin inReach Satellite Communicator and was able to send a message to Garmin’s 24/7 message center who then immediately notified Tillamook 911.
The device provided GPS coordinates south of Fox Creek Ridge Road along the Pumpkin Patch drainage in the TIllamook State Forest. Due to the difficult terrain and lack of accessibility, TIllamook County Search and Rescue was activated.
“Thanks to having a device to provide his exact location, we were able to get to him much quicker than activating a full search of the area,” said TCSO SAR Coordinator Deputy Chris Barnett. “The hunter was evaluated and placed onto a rescue stokes litter attached to a wheel. The rescue litter was guided out for about one and a quarter miles by first responders.”
Special thanks to our search and rescue volunteers: Jodi Richardson, Kari Bloomquist, Pam Davis, Chris Gregore, Ron Kincaid, and Jenny Marietta. The TIllamook Fire Department, Adventist Health TIllamook Ambulance, and TIllamook County Sheriff’s Office also responded.
