Curry County, Ore. – It was a happy ending for a woman and her family after she became lost while hiking along a Curry County trail.
40-year-old Amy Nuttbrock Nuttbrock planned to hike the Game Lake Trail on July 18 and meet up with a companion in Agness later that evening.
As darkness fell, there was no sign of Nuttbrock. That’s when her companion reported her missing.
The Curry County Sheriff’s Office said they formulated a plan to search for the woman the next morning.
When the sun rose, search and rescue members scoured the area by ground and by air, with only footprints and a cold fire indicating Nuttbrock was possibly in the area.
On July 20, search and rescue members from surrounding counties joined the search effort.
Clues were found that helped pinpoint Nuttbrock’s location to a specific area.
CCSO said Dan Brattian and Curry County Sheriff John Ward spotted Nuttbrock from the air near Horse Sigh Creek.
According to the sheriff’s office, they determined the best way to retrieve the hiker was by Coast Guard helicopter.
By 11:45 p.m., a USCG helicopter crew arrived in the area and air lifted Nuttbrock to safety.
The only injuries the woman suffered were numerous scratches on her legs from walking through the brush.
Nuttbrock said she wasn’t prepared for the conditions and assumed there would be a well-marked trail.
CCSO said that wasn’t the case, and the hiker found herself in a life-and-death situation.
A statement from Sheriff Ward’s office read in part, “We would like to thank all the Search and Rescue Members who responded from Curry County and all the other counties to help search for Amy Nuttbrock. A special thanks to Dan Brattian for his time and the use of his helicopter. Dan has always been willing to stop what he is doing and lend a hand. Without Dan, we would probably still be searching.”
Search and rescue crews from Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Siskiyou and Del Norte counties all arrived to assist with the search effort.
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