BAKER COUNTY, OREGON, Ore. — The Baker County Sheriff's Office says a California couple is OK after getting stuck on a snow-covered road in eastern Oregon earlier this week.
According to a post on their Facebook page, Sean Belknap, 28, and Shanda McDonald, 29, and their dog Maisy were on a 10-day road trip that started in San Diego when their Toyota truck became stuck in the snow Monday.
Baker County Sheriff Travis Ash said his office was contacted around 4 p.m. on Dec. 7 to assist with a search and rescue operation in Grant County.
Authorities say the couple was following a scenic byway map and took them to Forest Service Road 73, which was heavy with snowpack and impassable by vehicle. After becoming stuck in the snow, they activated the emergency beacon on their SPOT device, which alerted law enforcement to their location.
The Baker County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team was activated and a command post was established at Grande Ronde Sno-Park. Search and rescue volunteers traveled around 6 miles in three tracked side-by-sides to reach the stranded truck.
The couple and their dog were transported to a local motel in Baker City. They are all healthy and suffered no injuries.
