Brandon Garrett, a 62-year-old man from Oregon, found himself in a life-or-death situation when he drove off an embankment while heading to a remote campsite with his four dogs. According to the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, Brandon’s journey took a drastic turn when his vehicle plummeted into a steep ravine, leaving him stranded overnight.

His faithful dog, Blue, a whippet, emerged as the hero of the hour. Despite sustaining injuries from the accident, Blue managed to traverse nearly four miles through dense woods with glass lodged in his snout. His destination: a familiar campsite where Brandon was expected to meet a friend.

Members of the Baker County Search and Rescue Ropes Team help pull Brandon Garrett out of a ravine. Photo by Baker County Sheriff’s Office

“One of his dogs traveled the nearly four miles to their camp, which alerted the rest of the party that something was wrong,” the sheriff’s office said. Upon Blue’s unexpected arrival at the campsite, alerting friends and family to the absence of Brandon, a search effort ensued. Brandon’s brother, Tyree Garrett, discovered the scene the next morning.

He located Brandon’s overturned truck nestled in the ravine, surrounded by the lush Oregon landscape. In a heart-stopping moment, Tyree spotted injured dogs near the vehicle but initially received no response when calling out for his brother. “It stopped my heart,” Tyree recalled. Concerned about Brandon’s survival given the rugged terrain and adverse weather conditions, Tyree hurried to find cell reception and notified the sheriff’s office.

I just, God darn, thought for sure my brother was gone.”

“Sheriff Ash arrived and located the vehicle, along with a dog, in the steep, brushy ravine. As he was looking for an access point to the creek, he heard a subject yell for help,” the Baker County sheriff’s office said. Responding swiftly, rescuers braved the challenging terrain, finally reaching Brandon, who had managed to pull himself 100 yards from his vehicle before having to stop.

Members of the Baker County Search and Rescue Ropes Team pull Brandon Garrett, in a rescue basket, across a ravine. Photo by Baker County Sheriff’s Office

The Pine Valley Rural Fire Protection District volunteers and U.S. Forest Service workers used chainsaws to clear a path. They deployed a sophisticated rope system from the Baker County Search and Rescue team. This helped rescuers safely extract Brandon from the ravine with a rescue basket. He was then airlifted to a nearby hospital to be treated.

“He’s got a cracked ankle and his body itself is just really bruised and battered,” Tyree said. “So it’s going to take him a while at his age to get back on his feet.” He said his brother had been traveling with three other dogs that were found alive nearby, his brother said. One of the dogs had surgery for a broken hip and injured its femur and another had broken its leg in two spots.