Oregon Search Rescue

Oregon's long tradition of volunteer search and rescue dates back to the territorial days, when Good Samaritans and mountain men came to aid those in need. On the coast, surfmen of the U.S. Life-Saving Service protected mariners traversing the "Graveyard of the Pacific." In the early twentieth century, outdoor clubs like the Mazamas, the Skyliners and the Obsidians served as informal search and rescue units, keeping Oregonians safe in the mountains, rivers and wilderness areas. After World War II, Oregon's volunteer teams began to professionalize and became some of the most effective units in the country. Join author Glenn Voelz as he recounts the history of Oregon search and rescue.

The Pacific Coast is home to a beautiful wonderland of recreation. Vast forests, high mountains, stark deserts all beckon the adventurous, whether they are hiking the Pacific Coast Trail, scaling the challenging faces of Yosemite, or out for a day hike along the Columbia Gorge. Yet along with this natural beauty comes risk, even for the most well-prepared. Search and Rescue Pacific Coast collects the stories of the mountaineers, rangers, and ordinary volunteers who step in to help when the terrain and conditions show no mercy. Covering historical and recent events, this collection includes: Stories of rescues on Mt. Rainier and Mt. Hood, including two in which the rescue volunteers’ helicopters crashed. Dramatic rescues along the Pacific Coast Trail. How the oldest volunteer search and rescue organization in the nation rescued 144 hikers from a raging forest fire in Eagle Creek, Oregon. The story of a search and rescue veteran who required his own rescue while attempting to help a family trapped by rising floodwaters in California. The tale of a woman who was charged with 98 felonies after a dramatic search and rescue operation on the Oregon coast. The grit and determination of these search and rescue volunteers will inspire readers—and give them appreciation for the lessons of the wilderness.

Meet Ranger! He's a time-traveling golden retriever who has a nose for trouble . . . and always saves the day! Ranger has been trained as a search-and-rescue dog, but can't officially pass the test because he's always getting distracted by squirrels during exercises. One day, he finds a mysterious first aid kit in the garden and is transported to the year 1850, where he meets a young boy named Sam Abbott. Sam's family is migrating west on the Oregon Trail, and soon after Ranger arrives he helps the boy save his little sister. Ranger thinks his job is done, but the Oregon Trail can be dangerous, and the Abbotts need Ranger's help more than they realize!