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Hiker Rescued After Severe Fall Near Baldy Lake, Thanks to Emergency Beacon
44.84362409129°N, -118.31532907197°W
Posted on October 24, 2024 by GARY
What happened?
On September 22, 2024, at around 3 pm, I had just finished cleaning up our cabin in Granite, Oregon, and packed the pick-up for the long drive back to the coast.
Thinking a couple of trout for dinner would be a great idea, I decided to hike up to Baldy Lake. It’s a mile-and-a-half hike from the trailhead to the lake, and I arrived around 4:15 pm. On my third cast, I caught a nice brook trout—one more, and I’d be set.
After placing the trout on a stringer, I went to retrieve my pole when something caught my left foot, and I took a hard fall. I landed on my left side, and the pain was excruciating.
Standing up was nearly impossible, and putting weight on my left leg wasn’t working. I crawled about fifty feet to the trail, but by 6:30 pm, I realized there was no way I’d make it out on my own.
I activated my ResQLink beacon and gathered as much wood as I could for a fire. Knowing the firewood wouldn’t last long, I waited until after dark to light it.
Shortly after starting the fire, I heard a helicopter nearby, but it didn’t fly directly overhead. Within 30 minutes, a SAR (Search and Rescue) team member appeared—what a relief!
By 4 am the next day, the Life Flight crew had dropped me off at Walla Walla Hospital. An X-ray revealed that the ball of my left femur had broken off.
I owe a huge thanks to Grant County SAR, Baker County SAR, Life Flight, and all the folks in Granite who helped.
Words of wisdom
You never know what can happen, be prepared.
Thank you note
I purchased my ResQlink 20 years ago and it worked great! Keep up the good work, and thanks.
Rescue location
RMVM+CV Cabell City, OR, USA
Rescue team
Local Search and Rescue
ResQLink™ 400
Go to product details$379.95 – $394.95
Small but resilient, the ResQLink 400 has been professionally engineered and tested to ensure it can withstand even the harshest elements. This buoyant Personal Locator Beacon requires no subscription for use and can be utilized to enhance your safety in a wide variety of environments. Whether on land, at sea, or in the air, trust that the ResQLink’s satellite precision and military durability, put rescue in the palm of your hands.
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