An Oregon woman is recovering after being rescued from rough terrain thanks to her dog, who search teams say played a key role in helping locate her.
On December 29, the Lane County Sheriff’s Office reported that Elmira resident Karen Joyce Davis had gone missing earlier that afternoon while walking in the woods with her blue heeler cattle dog, Cami.
Authorities later updated the post to confirm Davis had been found in difficult terrain following a multi-hour search.
Search teams say dog helped lead rescuers to missing woman
According to the sheriff’s office, Cami stayed with Davis after she went missing, helping keep her warm and eventually barking to Lane County Search & Rescue volunteers as they combed the area.
“Her dog, Cami, kept her warm and signaled to Lane County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue volunteers as they searched the area,” the office said in its update.
Rescue crews treated Davis for hypothermia at the scene before carrying her out of the wooded area and transporting her to a local hospital.
Photos shared by authorities showed Cami resting her head on Davis while volunteers surrounded the rescued woman. Other images showed the dog being comforted by rescuers and highlighted how dark and densely wooded the area was during the search.
Local outlet Lookout Eugene-Springfield later reported additional details about the rescue effort. Search and rescue volunteer Katie Sciotto told the outlet that teams were informed Davis reportedly has dementia and that Cami, who is known for rarely barking, was unlikely to respond to her name.
Sciotto said that after hours of searching, she called out for the dog and faintly heard a bark from about 300 yards away.
“My two searchers and I basically just took off straight toward that bark,” Sciotto said, recalling that they tripped and fell while moving through the terrain.
Sciotto added that Cami’s response was critical to the rescue, noting that temperatures were near freezing and that Davis may not have survived the night without being located.
