Rafter vanishes in Oregon wilderness, survives five-day ordeal before helicopter rescue

Rafter vanishes in Oregon wilderness, survives five-day ordeal before helicopter rescue

A 26-year-old rafter who vanished during a trip on Oregon’s Illinois River was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter after surviving alone in rugged wilderness for five days.

Coast Guard rescues hiker five days after he got lost in Oregon wilderness

A 26-year-old rafter who vanished during a trip on Oregon’s Illinois River was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter after surviving alone in rugged wilderness for five days.

Coast Guard Rescues Hiker Lost for 5 Days

FEBRUARY 23, 2026 — A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a stranded hiker Friday morning in the Illinois River Valley near Greenwall Rapids, Oregon, following a multi-day search alongside the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office. A MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station North Bend supported the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team during efforts to locate the 26-year-old hiker, who had last been seen Mo…