A Sierra County couple and their dog are now safe after being stranded in a cabin for nearly two months.
The two had been care-taking a property in northwestern Sierra County near the town of Downieville since Dec. 6, according to a press release from the Sierra County Sheriff's Office. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) says that heavy snow and downed trees prevented the two from leaving the cabin.
Around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the CHP Valley Division's Air Operations unit was called to the cabin in remote Sierra County because the residents were beginning to run out of supplies.
"They made several attempts on their own to drive their vehicle out but due to the conditions they weren't able to and they also reached out to family and friends to come into them with supplies and that was unsuccessful as well," said Jared Boothe, a CHP medic who was on the helicopter rescuing the couple. "And that's when they called for the rescue."
Boothe said winds on the day of the rescue exceeded 50 knots (57 miles per hour).
"Winds were extreme that day," Boothe said. "My pilot, Dan Lewis, was still able to get us down on the ground safely. As soon as we were down, we shut the aircraft down and I made contact with the parties there, by their cabin."
Boothe identified the cabin occupants as Karen, Jeffery and their "little" chihuahua.
"Karen was beside herself, ecstatic that we were there," Boothe said. "She gave my pilot a hug and would not stop thanking us so much for us coming to their aid in their time of need."
A meadow near the cabin turned into an impromptu helipad for the officers. The couple was taken to the nearby town of Downieville where they met with Sierra County Sheriff's Deputies who took them to the sheriff's office to be picked up by friends. Neither the couple nor the dog needed medical attention, Boothe says.
"Being able to see the look on their face, the relief, the sense of joy I guess, we can put on their faces is something that will never get old," Boothe said. "It makes me feel good to know that I'm able to do something, just my smaller part because I'm only one little piece of that puzzle."
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