The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two teens from an Oregon mountain New Year’s Day after spotting an S.O.S. signal they wrote in the snow.
The two 19-year-old men, who were not publicly identified, went hiking and camping on Swastika Mountain around Christmas Day. They were reported missing when they did not return Dec. 29, the day they were expected to return, the Oregonian reported.
The crew found the two near their vehicle on Swastika Mountain in an area where an estimated 50 inches of snow had fallen since they went camping.https://t.co/UPEDDgTHxW
— KOMO News (@komonews) January 3, 2022
Lane County officials began searching for the pair soon after they were reported missing and called in a Coast Guard helicopter crew to assist because of heavy snowfall, KOIN reported. While looking for the two 19-year-olds, the crew spotted two other people who also appeared to need assistance and notified Lane County authorities, according to the Oregonian.
The crew located the two 19-year-olds and got them safely off of the mountain. The Coast Guard said they did not sustain any injuries during the time they spent on the mountain, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Woman Driving Pickup Truck Falls 60 Feet Off Cliff, Lives To Tell The Tale)
“These young men did a lot of things right to give themselves the best chance of being rescued,” said Lt. Maggie Champin, the MH-65 aircraft commander for the Coast Guard Sector North Bend, said, according to the Oregonian. “By writing ‘SOS’ in the snow, staying near their vehicle and staying near logging roads, we were able to find them relatively quickly. We recommend hikers carry personal locator beacons while out in the back country.”