First responders were activated to two separate rescue operations on Sunday, July 14, after individuals fell and injured themselves.
A Sweet Home Medic unit was dispatched to the Upper Calapooia river at approximately 5:15 p.m. following a report of a male who jumped off a rock and broke his leg. The medic crew arrived on scene to find the patient was a quarter mile down a trail and lying in the water. With assistance from Linn County deputies, Linn County Search and Rescue, and Lane County SAR, the patient was packaged in a stokes, and a rope system was used to lift the patient to the trail.
A few hours later, crews responded to McDowell Creek Falls at 8:59 p.m. for a report of a female who had fallen and possibly broken her wrist and knee. Medics arrived on scene and hiked the trail to find the patient had fallen 75-80 feet off a waterfall. Due to the severity of the patient’s injuries, the medic utilized Life Flight for the fastest transport to a local hospital. The patient was found in the water at the base of the waterfall. With assistance from Linn County deputies, Linn County SAR and Lebanon Fire District, crews utilized rope systems and a stokes basket to get the patient to the trail.