Video: Coast Guard Medevacs Injured Man from Remote Part of South Oregon Coast

Published 10/04/2026 at 3:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(North Bend, Oregon) – The aspects of remoteness that make the south Oregon coast especially fun can also make it more dangerous. A group of rafters and emergency responders encountered just that issue when one member of the group was hurt. (Images US Coast Guard)

A Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station North Bend rescued an injured rafter Thursday from a remote stretch of the Rogue River still within the confines of Curry County.

Sector Columbia River watchstanders received a request for assistance at 4:16 p.m. from the Curry County Sheriff’s Office after local responders were unable to reach a group of rafters in an area with no road access. The 68-year-old man had suffered a leg injury and required medical evacuation.

Joint Rescue Coordination Center Seattle directed the MH-65 crew to the scene. The aircrew arrived at 6:28 p.m., located the group of 10 rafters in a clearing near the river and hoisted the injured man. He was flown to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford, arriving at 7:30 p.m.

“Access to remote areas can quickly become challenging when someone is seriously injured,” said Lt. Cmdr. Tahnee Zaccano, the Coast Guard’s search and rescue mission coordinator. “The coordination between the Curry County Sheriff’s Office, the rafting party who packed the proper satellite communications device, and our aircrew enabled us to safely transport this individual to a higher level of care.”

The Coast Guard urged river users to carry reliable communications gear, keep a first-aid kit, share trip plans with someone ashore and prepare for rapidly changing conditions in remote areas.

Weather at the time included 5–10 mph winds, 10 miles of visibility and an air temperature of 65 degrees.

On September 26, the US Coast Guard rescued a man from the jetty at Hammond. At first, rescuers had little idea where he was, but local responders found him quickly using a drone.

Video: US Coast Guard Rescues Man from Hammond Jetty / N. Oregon Coast ----- Man was pinned under a rock at the Astoria-area jetty

Sector Columbia River watchstanders received the request for assistance at 7:38 a.m. from the Astoria Fire Department, which reported the man was pinned beneath a rock on the jetty. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Astoria launched and reached the scene at 8:51 a.m.

The aircrew hoisted the man from the rocks and transported him to Air Station Astoria, where he was transferred to waiting emergency medical personnel at 9:55 a.m. He was taken to Columbia Memorial Hospital for further treatment.

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