Mission Recap – Difficult Vehicle Recovery in the Feather River Canyon
Earlier today, Plumas County Search and Rescue was dispatched to a reported vehicle accident near Rich Bar in the Feather River Canyon. Initial details were limited, other than a report of possibly three victims.
Plumas District Hospital, multiple medical helicopters, the California Highway Patrol, Quincy Fire Department, and a Plumas County Sheriff’s deputy also responded.
Access to the crash site was challenging — located beyond a locked gate and up a remote four-wheel-drive road. While enroute to the coordinates provided by PCSO Dispatch, SAR personnel encountered the children’s father, who had managed to get his two injured children out of the canyon and was driving them down to meet EMS. He reported that the vehicle involved had gone off the road and that his father — the children’s grandfather — was still missing near the crash site.
SAR teams continued up the mountain and located the vehicle approximately 250 feet down a 55-degree slope. The truck had rolled and come to rest upside down, with the passenger compartment completely crushed. It was precariously held in place by part of the vehicle’s lumber rack.
SAR personnel rappelled down the steep slope to access the wreckage. Due to the condition and location of the vehicle, extrication was extremely difficult. SAR members used chains and straps to secure the vehicle and were assisted by Quincy Fire personnel with tools and equipment, including the Jaws of Life. After gaining access, the team located the third occupant, who had unfortunately not survived the crash.
CHP Air Operations out of Auburn responded and assisted with a hoist operation to recover the victim to the roadway above.
This mission took nearly six hours due to the remote terrain, challenging extrication, and coordination across multiple agencies. It is rare that a vehicle crash requires this level of technical rescue effort.
Our thoughts are with the family during this extremely difficult time.
We would like to thank all responding agencies and personnel for their support and dedication in handling this tragic incident.
As with our team policy, we do not post pictures of calls that involve a fatality.
