Oct 1, 2026 at approximately 4:20 PM, Plumas County Search and Rescue was dispatched to a motorcycle crash in a remote area off Beckwourth-Taylorsville Road.
Initial information indicated that a rider had been seriously injured and was in significant distress. Several members of the rider’s group remained with him and advised that the road into their location was extremely difficult and could not be accessed by an ambulance.
PCSAR responded with multiple vehicles, including one of our side-by-sides equipped with a specialized litter insert designed to transport injured patients through difficult terrain. The U.S. Forest Service, California Highway Patrol, a Plumas County Sheriff’s Deputy, and ambulance personnel also responded.
A paramedic aboard the USFS engine assumed patient care, allowing SAR members to concentrate on determining the safest and most efficient way to move the injured rider out of the remote location.
The patient was secured in our litter and transported approximately 3.2 miles by side-by-side to Beckwourth-Taylorsville Road, where we met the waiting ambulance. He was then transferred to the ambulance for a short trip to a nearby meadow, where a Care Flight medical helicopter had landed.
By the time the patient reached the helicopter, it was well past sunset. He was flown to Renown Regional Medical Center for further treatment.
This incident is also a good reminder of the importance of being prepared when recreating in remote areas. The members of this group were able to call for help despite their remote location, provide responders with information about the difficult access, and remain with and care for their injured friend until emergency personnel arrived. Those actions made a difficult situation easier for everyone involved.
We would like to thank the U.S. Forest Service, California Highway Patrol, Plumas County Sheriff’s Office, responding ambulance crew, and Care Flight for another well-coordinated response. We also appreciate the assistance provided by the other members of the riding group throughout the incident.
We wish the injured rider a full and speedy recovery.
