DALE – An Alabama man using GPS for directions had a brush with disaster Thursday night in the rugged country east of Dale.

About 7:40 p.m. Thursday, dispatchers received a call about a stranded motorist in the Umatilla National Forest.

Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer said Charles Tyler, 21, was on a cross country trip from Oklahoma to Fort Lewis, Wash, when he became stranded.

Deputies found Tyler shortly after 4:30 a.m. Friday in a remote area of the Olive Creek drainage, near Mud Springs.

He had been following the GPS in his Ford Fiesta for directions, when the car became stuck in a spot where he could not maneuver easily. As Tyler tried to get the car out, it slid backwards more than 300 yards down the steep mountainside.

Palmer said Tyler was not injured, but specialized equipment will be needed to retrieve the vehicle.