25-Year-Old Survives 5 Days in Oregon Wilderness
A 25-year-old man who vanished in the Oregon wilderness was rescued after surviving five days alone with limited food and water. Search teams located him after he navigated harsh elements during his ordeal in the remote area.
- The man, identified as 26-year-old Gabriel Vaughn, was on a rafting trip on Oregon's Illinois River when he disappeared. He reportedly had a disagreement with his group, jumped from his raft, and swam to the shore with the intention of hiking out. - Vaughn, an experienced rafter, was last seen near Greenwall Rapids and intended to hike toward the Chetco drainage area. This is a remote and rugged region known for its dense vegetation. - To aid in his rescue, Vaughn intentionally left a trail of his equipment for search teams to find, including his paddle and helmet. - A multi-day search operation was conducted by the Josephine County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team and the U.S. Coast Guard, who utilized an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter for aerial searches. - A private party coordinating with the official search teams ultimately located Vaughn in the Illinois River Valley. He was found about two miles downstream from where he was last seen. - When found, Vaughn was suffering from dehydration and had injuries to his hands and feet, which made it impossible to evacuate him on foot. - A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew hoisted Vaughn from the location and transported him to Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay for medical evaluation and treatment. - Vaughn's parents traveled from their home in Tennessee to Oregon to help coordinate the search efforts. They have indicated that while his wilderness training was a factor in his survival, he has a long road to medical recovery.
