CCSO release – On August 28, 2021, at about 11:30 AM, the Coos County Dispatch Center received a 911 call from some citizens hiking on the John Dellenback Trail in Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (ODNRA). The citizens came across a 54 year old male who was suffering from a neck and back injury. The victim had sustained the injury from falling off a dune in the sand. The victim stated he had been stranded in the area for 5 days. In addition to the injuries, the victim was suffering from dehydration. Personnel from Lakeside Fire Department and Lower Umpqua Ambulance were dispatched and were able to hike in and locate the victim. After providing medical aid, medical personnel tried to locate a way to extract the patient from the area. Deputies from the Coos County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene and attempted to help formulate a plan. This area is not easily accessible to vehicles, ATV or UTV. The US Coast Guard Air Station was contacted and US Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter to the scene. US Coast Guard helicopter arrived on scene at about 1345 hours. The victim was loaded into a basket and evacuated from the dunes via helicopter and transported to Bay Area Hospital. The Coos County Sheriff’s Office was assisted on scene by the Lakeside Fire Department, Lower Umpqua Ambulance, Winchester Bay Fire Department and US Coast Guard.
