Missing Mushroom Hunter (Loon Lake)
REEDSPORT, Ore. – On Thursday, February 20, 2020, at approximately 11:00 am, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office was contacted regarding an individual who had gone mushroom picking in the Elliot State Forest off of Elk Ridge Road near Loon Lake on Wednesday, February 21st and had become lost. The lost male was identified as 65 year-old Juan Pitcher of Reedsport. Deputies were dispatched to the area along with Search and Rescue. The terrain was very steep and rocky with thick brush and heavy timber. Search Crews searched until nightfall on Thursday without finding signs of Pitcher. The search resumed on Friday morning. Around noon, crews began hearing a voice response from a male which came from deep within a canyon. Shortly after 1:00 pm, searchers located Pitcher who was in poor condition. He was located at 43.5656, -123.8672. At the request of the Sheriff’s Office, the Oregon State Search and Rescue Coordinator arranged for the U.S. Coast Guard to fly into the area and extract Pitcher out of the difficult terrain. He was then transported to Bay Area Hospital for treatment. The Sheriff’s Office was also assisted by Search and Rescue crews from Josephine, Coos, Curry and Del Norte (California) counties and Lower Umpqua Hospital Ambulance Service.
USCG Airlift at Loon Lake
NORTH BEND, Ore. – A Coast Guard helicopter crew airlifted a 65-year-old man Friday stranded near Loon Lake. The man had been reported missing Wednesday but was located by a Douglas County search and rescue team Friday morning, Feb. 21. The Oregon search and rescue coordinator contacted the Coast Guard for interagency assistance due to the area’s difficult terrain, which made a ground evacuation too dangerous. An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Sector North Bend launched from Air Station North Bend at 1 p.m. and arrived at the scene at 2:15 p.m. The man was hoisted from his location and taken to Coast Guard Air Station North Bend, where they landed at 4 p.m. The man was transferred to emergency medical service technicians waiting at the air station. He was reported to be suffering from hypothermia and dehydration. “The Coast Guard works closely with state and local agencies to keep people safe, and this case demonstrates how good communication and cooperation can help save lives,” said Petty Officer Trevor Lilburn.