It isn’t said for nothing that a dog is man’s best friend. There are numerous great examples and many stories are written in honor of one of the most special relationships in this world. Yet, in today’s story, one dog brought that to a whole new level with his noble action.
Namely, a 62-year-old owner, Brandon Garrett, was traveling with his four dogs to a camp when, around four miles before the destination, on a forest service road in Baker County, Oregon, he lost control of his truck and ended up in a ravine.
It was a nasty accident, but one of his dogs named Blue, although injured, managed to get out of the vehicle and start the four-mile journey.
Hero Dog
Since Brandon had taken his dogs to this place before, Blue remembered the location of the camp and knew that there were people there who could come to the aid of his beloved owner.
Considering that Blue had glass stuck in his snout, it was not at all easy for him to get to that location, but his immense love and loyalty to his owner kept him alive on this journey.
When Blue finally arrived at his desired destination, Brandon’s friend already knew something was wrong due to the fact that they were already very late. Blue, who came alone, as well as his injured snout, only confirmed his suspicions.
This man immediately notified Brandon’s other friends as well as his family, and together they set out on a search that lasted all night. They had no success until the morning when they finally saw the truck.
At that moment, Brandon’s brother, Tyree Garrett, thought he was witnessing the worst. He told the New York Times that he heard his brother’s injured dogs, but not him. “It stopped my heart,” he said. “I just, God darn, thought for sure my brother was gone.”
However, neither he nor the rest of his relatives and friends lost hope, so they immediately called for reinforcements. Given the difficult terrain on which the truck was, they could do almost nothing on their own.
A Difficult Rescue Mission
Soon after the call, professionals from numerous agencies were on the scene – Baker County Sheriff’s Office, Baker County Search and Rescue, Halfway Ambulance, and Pine Valley Rural Fire District.
Along with a dog, Sheriff Travis Ash was the first to go into action. As he was looking for an access point to the creek, he heard a dramatic voice. It was Brandon Garrett, yelling for help. He was alive!
Poor Brandon was lying about 100 yards from the vehicle, where he spent the whole night in the cold and pouring rain.
As soon as they located him, Sheriff Ash rendered first-aid while Pine Valley Rural Fire volunteers and U.S. Forest Service employees used chainsaws to clear a path for the rescue team.
“Members of the Baker County Search and Rescue Ropes Team set up their rescue equipment and began the difficult task of reaching Garrett,” Baker County Sheriff’s Office wrote in their Facebook post. “Once the team was able to reach him, they loaded and secured him in a rescue basket.”
Soon after, Brandon was transferred to a group of SAR members and medical personnel, after which he was transported by Halfway Ambulance to a Life Flight helicopter.
His final destination was a regional hospital.
Man’s Best Friend!
Baker County Sheriff’s Office staff, from Oregon were over the moon because this rescue mission had a happy ending, especially considering how complex it was.
“This was an incredibly technical rescue performed by Baker County Search and Rescue utilizing a highline rope system. BCSO was also grateful for Pine Valley Rural Fire Protection District, Halfway Ambulance, Life Flight and the U.S. Forest Service employees that provided assistance during the rescue,” they told Upworthy. “This was truly a team effort!”
They also confirmed that the three remaining dogs were found at the crash scene and that they are safe now. Yet, people who followed this rescue mission via social networks were eagerly waiting for just one news, or rather a picture.
Baker County Sheriff’s Office soon fulfilled their wish.
“We understand folks have been patiently waiting to see a photo of Blue. The family graciously provided us with this photo.” they wrote in the comment below the post.
It was the recovered Brandon and his canine hero, without whom he probably wouldn’t be alive today.
A dog truly is man’s best friend.
