OHS Team Rescues Dog From Ravine in Columbia Gorge

 

 

Rescue success: Dog owners Markus Hendricks (left) and Ashley Parsons (right), with OHSTAR team member John Thoeni and Riley, the rescued dog.
OHSTAR team member John Thoeni, left, prepares to rappel down the ravine with the aid of fellow team member Ulli Neithch.

Sept. 6, 2012: A young hound dog was reunited with her owners today after rescuers rappelled down a 120-foot ravine in the Columbia Gorge.

 

Riley, a 10-month-old hound mix, had fallen into the ravine the previous afternoon when she was hiking with her owners on the popular Oneonta Trail near Multnomah Falls Lodge. The dog suffered scratches and bruises, but no apparent major injuries. Following the rescue, Riley was able to walk down the path to the trailhead under her own power.

 

A five-person volunteer rescue team from OHS responded to the call for help, hiking one hour up the steep trail to the location where Riley had fallen.

 

John Thoeni, a member of the OHS Technical Rescue team (OHSTAR), rappelled down the ravine and spent more than 40 minutes earning Riley’s trust. Thoeni was then able to fit the dog with a rescue harness and he and Riley were hoisted back up the ravine.

 

The dog fell into a ravine near Triple Falls Bridge, a hiking bridge that spans Oneonta Creek, the afternoon of Sept. 5. The dog's owners, Markus Hendricks and Ashley Parsons, spent the night on the trail in sight of their fallen dog.

 

Multnomah Country Sheriff’s Office, which first received the request for help, contacted OHSTAR, a group of OHS volunteers skilled in rescuing animals from cliffsides and other areas that require the use of technical climbing and rescue gear.

 

OHSTAR receives no tax dollars for their work, which is supported entirely by donations to the Oregon Humane Society.

 

 

Your donation will help OHS rescue, care and shelter animals who need our help.