Curry County Sheriff's Office press release:

On Thursday April 7, 2022 at about 9:20 p.m., the Curry County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the Lane County Sheriff’s Office regarding two activations of a portable SPOT device. The Lane County Sheriff’s Office had gone to the residence in their area where the SPOT device was registered too and learned from a roommate there that the owner of the device had gone rafting two days prior with two others on a seventeen mile stretch of the upper Chetco River area, east of Brookings.

An example of the rough terrain where deputies were responding. | CCSO

It was determined that Oakridge Oregon residents, Noah Sunflower, Tracey Sunflower and Noah McMullen were the ones rafting and in possession of the SPOT device. The SPOT is a portable emergency device that once activated, sends a signal of the location it was activated from but does not provide any details of the reason why it was activated.

Due to the rugged remote country and darkness, the Curry County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team geared up early the following morning to hike in from the Vulcan Peak area to the coordinates that were relayed from Lane County of the SPOT activation. Sheriff’s dispatch contacted the U.S. Coast Guard and the Oregon Emergency Management, to request a helicopter for assistance.

On 04-08-22 the Sheriff’s SAR team responded to the area and were preparing to hike in when the U.S. Coast Guard located the small group of rafters on the river and lowered a rescue swimmer down to them.

It was determined that the group was okay and that the SPOT was an accidental activation. The group continued and finished their float trip.

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