64-year-old woman missing for two days rescued by US Coast Guard in Oregon

In Oregon, a search operation was launched over two days to locate a missing 64-year-old woman who had become separated from her hiking group in Shore Acres state park. On Friday evening, the woman lost contact with her group during their hike. As darkness fell, the challenges of rugged terrain and absence of survival gear made the rescue operation increasingly difficult. The Oregon state police reached out to the US Coast Guard for assistance, which included monitoring radio calls to help the ground teams locate her. Initially, a helicopter crew attempted to locate her using thermal imaging but had to return due to poor weather conditions. Ground search teams, including K-9 units, were dispatched on Saturday, yet the efforts to locate her proved unsuccessful even after improving weather conditions allowed for additional flights. On Sunday, help arrived from the California Oregon Regional Search and Rescue Task Force, and shortly after noon, rescuers heard someone calling for help from a remote area in the park. Upon responding to the calls, the team discovered the woman, who was exhibiting symptoms of hypothermia and dehydration. The rescuers worked to move her to a safe point, where they built a fire to warm her while awaiting a helicopter for evacuation. The helicopter arrived around 1:45 PM and transported the woman to Bay Area hospital in North Bend. The rescue team noted that the thermal imaging equipment had failed to locate her because she had taken refuge under a log during her distress. The hiker began shouting only when she heard the helicopters overhead, which ultimately led to her swift rescue. The successful outcome of the operation underscored the importance of the training and coordination between the Coast Guard and other local emergency agencies, as highlighted by Commander Jay Kircher of the Coast Guard air station North Bend.