Very Good Dog Runs 4 Miles for Help After Owner Crashes Truck in Ravine

Animals have an awareness that we humans might never understand. They’ve been known to act strange before an imminent natural disaster, sometimes even hours before. They flee or cause alarm while we’re left dumbfounded. Until the earthquake or tsunami hits, then we’re like, “Oooh,” followed by “Oooh, s***.” There’s no scientific proof that the natural world is connected in this way, but it’s always one hell of a coincidence when it happens. And not only do animals have a sense of when danger is approaching, but they also know when danger is already here, especially when they’re our pets.  One recent example is a dog traveling nearly four miles back to the family’s campsite. This wouldn’t have been a concern except that the dog wasn’t with its owner or the three other dogs that had gone along for the car ride. When the owner didn’t return to camp that afternoon, something was definitely amiss. After a search, the group found the owner’s truck, which had gone over an embankment and fallen into a creek along U.S. Forest Service Road 39 in Pine Valley, Oregon. According to the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, family members couldn’t reach the vehicle or search for the missing driver because of the treacherous terrain.   Four emergency response agencies, as well as the U.S. Forest Service, reported to the scene. The ravine leading to the crash site was steep and overgrown. Another dog was spotted at the crash site, but there was still no driver. As a sheriff’s deputy was searching for a way down, he heard someone call for help. The missing driver had managed to crawl 100 yards away from his wrecked vehicle, where he slept overnight. Whew, he was alive and responsive. That was the good news. But rescuers still had to figure out how to get him out of there in order to provide proper medical care. Baker County Sheriff’s Office / Facebook Chainsaws were necessary to clear a path so that other team members could secure the crash victim into a rescue basket. He was then pulled across the ravine via a highline rope system to reach medical personnel. From there, he was airlifted to a regional hospital for his injuries.  According to Facebook comments posted to the sheriff’s office’s news release, the driver suffered no internal injuries or broken bones. However, of the three dogs found at the crash, two have broken bones and are being cared for at a local vet. Here’s hoping everyone and every pet fully recovers and that the lone little runner receives all the doggy treats it could ever want.