“Pretty amazing”: Brother recalls dramatic rescue of Halfway man from crash
By Joe Hathaway on Thursday, June 6th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER COUNTY — New details have emerged regarding the dramatic rescue of a Halfway man who was found alive on June 3 after his vehicle plunged off an embankment near Hells Canyon.
62-year-old Brandon Garrett was rescued by crews from around Baker County after he rolled his truck down a cliff, while on Forest Service Road 39, which is northeast of Halfway. His truck landed in a creek and he managed to get out and survive through the night before being spotted by his brother, who then alerted authorities.
His brother, Tyree Garrett, says that numerous people were out searching for Brandon the night before, but he was unaware of his brother’s disappearance until the next morning. Tyree and a friend took separate vehicles to search the area. Despite several searches by others, the location of Brandon’s vehicle remained hidden due to the dense terrain.
“I then started coming down 39 Road and thought, this is the only part of the creek you really can’t see into,” said Tyree. “I pulled over and there was the truck. I just said “wow”.
He says he called out for his brother, who then called back. Brandon had crawled up the other side of the hill.
“I couldn’t believe that truck had rolled down that far and he had made it through it. He’s 62, so that’s pretty incredible,” said Tyree.
Due to the steep and brushy ravine and pouring rain, Tyree says he couldn’t get down the cliff to his brother. He drove to a spot with phone reception and alerted the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, which mobilized the rescue operation.
Baker County Sheriff Travis Ash and the Search and Rescue team faced significant challenges reaching Brandon. The team used chainsaws to clear a path and set up rescue equipment to reach Garrett, who had crawled about one hundred yards from the crash site. Once located, Garrett was placed in a rescue basket and pulled across the ravine using a highline rope system.
Remarkably, one of Brandon’s dogs had alerted others to the crash by traveling nearly four miles back to the camp with glass embedded in its face. This led Brandon’s camping partner and other searchers to start looking for him the previous evening.
Tyree expressed immense relief and gratitude that he was able to find his brother in time.
“I was just lucky enough to be the one to find him before he died of hypothermia or something, because it was just pouring down buckets of rain and it was chilly,” he said. “I just thank the good Lord. He put me in the right place at the right time.
Brandon was airlifted to a Boise hospital and has since been released. He is currently recuperating at Tyree’s home. Despite being battered and immobile, Tyree says his brother is grateful to be alive.
