Woman lost in Josephine County wilderness rescued

JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. – A woman who got lost in the woods was found by search and rescue crews.

The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office said on July 2, a woman who was trying to drive to the coast got lost on a rural Forest Service road in Josephine County. Her vehicle eventually got a flat tire, stranding the woman.

As darkness fell on the night of July 4, she was able to call 9-1-1 to report herself lost.

Dispatchers pinged her cell phone to a location near Swede Basin in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. The area was searched into the early morning hours with no success.

At about 7:30 in the morning, the woman called 9-1-1 again. This time, dispatchers got a better clue as to the woman’s location. When searchers went to the new coordinates, they found two notes asking for help attached to a pair of unoccupied vehicles. As they continued to the end of the road, they finally found the woman. She was okay, but told rescuers she ran out of water the day before she was found.

“Josephine County Sheriff’s Office Search & Rescue would like to remind everyone to be prepared when driving in back country,” the sheriff’s office said. “Bring plenty of food and water. Plan your trip and inform others of where you will be. Cell phone service is unreliable and spotty at best. Fortunately, the subject remained with her vehicle which made it easier for searchers to locate and rescue her.”