Missing Oregon Camper Found Alive on Closed Wildfire-Damaged Trail After Search by More Than 100 Rescuers
Search and Rescue Teams from Marion and Benton Counties succeeded in their mission on Thursday night when the missing 68-year-old camper, John Nelson, was found alive in a deep drainage near the South Breitenbush Trail, about five miles by trail from Russell Lake.
Missing Camper Found on Closed Marion County Trail
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Nelson was found by members of Benton County Search and Rescue (SAR), working under the direction of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office SAR command, at about 8:42 p.m. near the South Breitenbush Trail. Over 100 SAR volunteers and several agencies had worked to find him.
- July 7 : Nelson is reported overdue.
- July 9, 8:42 p.m. : Search crews find him alive.
- Overnight : SAR teams remain with him.
- July 10, 11 a.m. : Black Hawk evacuates him.
- Afterward : Nelson reunites with family.
The trail has been closed since the 2020 wildfires and is heavily affected by downed trees and burned timber, making access extremely difficult for rescuers. Crews from the United States Forest Service (USFS) were deployed earlier that day to clear the area, including the South Breitenbush Trail, allowing search teams to safely reach Nelson.
Because of the rugged terrain, combined with his condition, Nelson was unable to hike out, so Marion County SAR volunteers and the Benton County SAR Rescue team remained with him overnight. Nelson was safely evacuated by an Oregon Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopter to a nearby landing zone at about 11:00 a.m. yesterday.
Nelson was reunited with his family and returned home after being evaluated by medics.
Sgt. Garrett Olson of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office reminded the public that conditions can change quickly in remote wilderness areas.
He advised campers and hikers to stay with their hiking partner, let someone know their plans, and carry a GPS communication device or emergency beacon capable of sending an emergency notification.