A dramatic rescue occurred on September 3 when emergency services responded to a single-vehicle crash along South Bradley Road near Oregon City. The vehicle had veered off the road, falling approximately 20 feet down an embankment and coming to rest in a creek. The incident unfolded around 9:32 p.m., with Clackamas Fire quickly arriving on the scene as the vehicle began filling with water.
There were three human occupants along with two dogs and two cats in the vehicle. Firefighters managed to assist two people up the embankment using a ground ladder. However, one occupant suffered injuries requiring a more elaborate rescue. Clackamas Fire’s technical rescue team established a low-angle rope rescue system, securing the injured individual in a Stokes basket, which was subsequently used to hoist them safely back to the roadway.
Two of the occupants were transported to local hospitals for their injuries, while the third person remained unharmed. In addition to the human rescues, firefighters successfully retrieved the four animals, all of which were reported uninjured.
The response involved multiple units from Clackamas Fire, as well as support from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office and American Medical Response (AMR). Residents praised the rescuers on social media for their quick and skilled actions, highlighting the successful rescue of the pets and the challenging conditions the team faced during the operation. The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
