Family Has To Be Rescued After Getting Stranded While Hunting For A Christmas Tree In The Oregon Mountains

A family of four and their dog that headed out into the Oregon back-country to find the perfect Christmas tree had to be rescued on Sunday after getting their truck stuck in the snow far away from their home. Local channel KMTR 16 in Eugene, Oregon, reports that the Smith family was picked up by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Deputy after being stranded for several hours in the middle of the night in the falling snow.

Soren Smith and three members of his family headed into the mountains near East Lake, Oregon, where they located the perfect family tree. The group was heading home using a different route than the one they used to find the tree when they got stuck in a foot-and-a-half of snow in their 4×4 pick-up truck four hours after leaving their house.

Smith, who was driving the pickup truck when it got stuck, called 911 and told police that he believed he and his family were safe for the time being because they were dressed warm and had gas and water with them, but that they couldn’t move their vehicle, didn’t have any extra food, and the snow was continuing to come down.

A rescue worker arrived in the area with a pickup truck towing a trailer with an ATV attached. He drove four miles off-road using the tracked ATV to locate the family. In the early morning, the deputy found them 2.5 miles east of East Lake and, using the ATV, took them back to the patrol vehicle where he gave the family, including the family dog, a ride home. Smith told the deputy that at least three more inches of snow had fallen while the family waited.

After rescuing the group, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office sent would-be tree hunters a reminder that the snowy roads in the back-country can be dangerous and advised people to come prepared. They also told people to check road closures to be sure that they aren’t traveling on a road that is closed during snowy weather.

“The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind those traveling in the backcountry that several Forest Service roads are closed during the winter season,” the department said in a news release. “If you are planning on traveling on backcountry roads that may have snow on them (no matter the depth) it is recommended to possess traction tires and/or tire chains, shovels and/or other implements to help free you if you become stuck as well as the 10 Essentials for wilderness survival in case you are forced to spend the night in your vehicle.”

https://t.co/qm3UUyUgYl – Family Rescued in Stuck Vehicle (Photo)

— Deschutes Sheriff (@DeschutesSO) December 11, 2018