NORTH BEND, Ore. (WHDH) — Rescue crews were able to locate two hikers who became stranded on a mountain in Oregon last week after spotting “SOS” written in the snow.
The United States Coast Guard assisted in locating two 19-year-old men who went camping on Swastika Mountain on or around Christmas Day and had not returned from their trip.
Lane County Sheriff’s deputies dispatched ground crews to search for the two hikers after receiving a report on New Year’s Eve that they had gone missing, the Coast Guard said.
Due to the heavy snowfall in the area covering the mountain roads, the sheriff’s office requested a Coast Guard helicopter to help with the search.
Lt. Maggie Champin, MH-65 aircraft commander, Coast Guard Sector North Bend, said, “These young men did a lot of things right to give themselves the best chance of being rescued.”
The men had written “SOS” in the snow, stayed near their vehicle, and remained near logging roads, which Champin says led to them being found relatively quickly.
The aircrew hoisted the two men and transferred them to awaiting sheriff’s deputies at Eugene Airport.
The two hikers reported no medical concerns.
During the search for these two men, the Coast Guard says they identified two additional people in distress and that they passed their position to the sheriff’s office.
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