Gary Wenzel, 66, of Reedsport, is loaded into a Life Flight helicopter at Baldy Lake on Sept. 22, 2024. 

GRANITE — An emergency beacon activated by a 66-year-old Reedsport man likely saved his life, according to Grant County Sheriff Todd McKinley.

Gary Wenzel was fishing at Baldy Lake near Mount Ireland in the county’s northeast corner on the evening of Sunday, Sept. 22, when he landed a large fish and slipped at the edge of the lake, falling and breaking his hip, the sheriff said in a news release. Wenzel then activated an emergency beacon, which alerted emergency responders to his whereabouts.

Blue Mountain Hospital personnel and units from both Baker and Grant County Search and Rescue responded to the emergency beacon, as did a Life Flight air ambulance.

“Friends and hunters already in the area, along with Life Flight 12’s medical staff, hiked to the location and were able to determine the exact location and reason for Gary’s emergency beacon activation,” the release stated.

The ruggedness and steepness of the trail leading to Baldy Lake made flying Wenzel out the only viable option for extraction, according to the release. A National Guard rescue helicopter with a winch was requested for the rescue effort but was not available until daybreak.

After several attempts to land, the Life Flight helicopter was able to put down on the south shore of the lake, resulting in a much easier extraction. Wenzel was flown to a hospital in Walla Walla, and crews returned to base at 5 a.m. on Sept. 23 after being out all night.

The emergency beacon Wenzel activated relies on satellites rather than cell towers for transmissions and is designed for use in remote locales.

“There is a wide variety of beacons that provide security for when you’re trekking outdoors that you can purchase,” McKinley said. “It’ll help you, it’ll help your family — in this case, it likely saved that gentleman’s life.”

McKinley added that the beacons are not cost-prohibitive and that it is hard to put a price tag on a life.