Camper Found Alive After Two-Day Ordeal in Mount Jefferson Wilderness

Rescuers located 68-year-old John Nelson alive about five miles from Russell Lake after he went missing on July 7 in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness. He’d been stranded in rugged, burned terrain with downed trees; volunteers and air assets—including an Oregon National Guard Black Hawk helicopter—brought him to safety for medical evaluation. Nelson, a retired doctor, was reunited with his family after the rescue, which involved multiple agencies and more than 100 rescuers.