MacGyver lives!

A re-creation of “MacGyver’s” phone tied to a drone, supplied by the Lane County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, Eugene, OR.

These days MacGyver lives near Eugene, OR, in the guise of a stranded motorist. On March 5 the motorist wandered onto an unplowed road in Willamette National Forest, Oregon, and his pickup got stuck in deep snow. He’d not told anyone where he’d be and there was no cell phone service in the area. Thinking creatively, he attached his cell phone to a drone he happened to have with him, typed out a message giving his exact location, hit send, and launched the drone. Several hundred feet up, the phone connected with a cell tower and his message went out.

Rescuers from the Lane County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, operating out of Eugene, OR, also rescued another motorist stranded near the quick-thinking drone owner, who stayed with his vehicle as is always advised for people who become lost.

Featured image provided by Lane County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, showing the stranded motorists’ vehicles next to the Box Canyon horse camp, which is located approximately 70 miles from Eugene on the eastern slope of the Cascades.

16 thoughts on “MacGyver lives!

      1. I see .. Then that program didn’t make it to Sydney (which is where Chic and I were living in the ’80s). Funny, that: I could swear we had every other American TV program .. :\

  1. Ah yes, the ubiquity of drones! It has happened largely due to the development of battery technology, largely lithium-ion. The things have profoundly affected everything from warfare to movie-making.

    1. They’ve proven invaluable in many ways. But I still don’t like the small personal ones that individuals can buy and fly indiscriminately around neighborhoods.

    1. It probably should be standard in emergency kits for the mountains. Cell service up there can be real spotty, if available at all. Of course, I’d have to learn to fly the thing …

    1. Just wait. It won’t be long before this story becomes part of the marketing for drones. And outdoor gear stores like REI will start selling drones as a survival gear item.

... and that's my two cents