UNION COUNTY, Oregon (CBS2) — A 65-year-old man was airlifted to a trauma center after sustaining serious injuries in a utility terrain vehicle (UTV) crash near the South Fork of Catherine Creek on Wednesday at approximately 10 a.m.
Emergency dispatchers received a report of the incident from the man's family members, who were not present at the scene but were in contact with him via radio. They tracked the UTV's route to provide precise location details to responders.
Union County Search and Rescue, the Union County Sheriff's Office, Union Rural Fire Protection District, La Grande Fire Department, and Life Flight Network responded to the incident. Approximately one hour after the initial call, deputies and Life Flight personnel reached the man, who was located below an abandoned road grade and trapped with the wrecked UTV.
Rescue crews transported the man up a steep hillside, then proceeded approximately half a mile and 300 vertical feet to a designated landing zone, where he was airlifted to a regional trauma center.
The Union County Sheriff's Office commended the coordinated response from all assisting agencies in managing the operation efficiently.