LOCAL & STATE
BAKER CITY HERALD • SATuRDAY, ApRIL 2, 2022 A5
‘We tried to save each other’
Survivors talk
about a tragic
incident in
July 2021
BY KATHY ANEY
East Oregonian
Editor’s note: This is the first
of a two-part feature. Look for
the conclusion in the Baker City
Herald next week.
PILOT ROCK — One day
last July, three longtime friends
headed to the mountains to
cool off in a swimming hole.
They never imagined one of
them wouldn’t make it home.
The young men — Kyler
Carter and Braydon Postma,
both 23, and Cody Watson,
21 — had a close-knit friend-
ship. They’d bonded as young
boys in Pilot Rock, playing ball,
tag and climbing on the jungle
gym. In later years, they hunted
and hiked in the mountains,
tubed in McKay Reservoir, par-
ticipated in sports and played
competitive games of Call of
Duty: Black Ops II.
Basically, Carter said, “We
were brothers.”
The tragic adventure began
last July 1 on a sunny after-
noon. The three waited until
Watson got off work and then
rode in Postma’s pickup about
10 miles south of Pilot Rock
into the mountains. The desti-
nation was a picturesque spot
they’d visited dozens of times
— a swimming hole on West
Birch Creek above a cascading
waterfall that spills into a steep
rocky canyon. They parked
and walked about two miles to
a deep pool where they swam,
talked and took photos and
videos. The rocks near the
edge of the waterfall were slip-
pery with moss.
What happened next is both
a blur and a succession of still
frames in their minds.
“I fell first,” Postma said.
“Cody tried to save me. Then
Kyler tried to save Cody.”
Carter described the mo-
ment even more simply.
“We tried to save each other.”
All the men survived the
initial fall, but Cody Watson
would die before help could
arrive.
Sharon Gaines/Contributed Photo
Cody Watson, pictured here during a bowhunting trip, was injured in
a fall July 1, 2022, near Pilot Rock, and died before rescuers could save
him from a narrow canyon. Watson, a member of the Oregon Army
National Guard, loved outdoor activities and planned to become a
military pilot.
To honor Watson, Umatilla
County’s Search and Rescue
Foundation received a $5,000
donation last week in his name
from the Blue Mountain Insur-
ance Professionals presented
at the Umatilla County Board
of Commissioners meeting.
Joined by Watson’s mother and
grandmother, Scott Sager, of
BMIP, spoke to the commis-
sioners about Watson.
“Cody was a sergeant with
the National Guard,” Sager
said. “He was a very inquisi-
tive, inspiring and motivated
individual. He was on his way
to a dream of being a military
pilot. He died that night on that
mountain.”
Watson’s mother, Holli Hill,
presented the $5,000 check
to three SAR members in at-
tendance who wrapped her in
a hug. The money likely will
go to the county’s new SAR
foundation to help purchase
a lightweight rope system to
help with extractions in steep
terrain like the ravine on West
Birch Creek.
Aftermath of the fall
After falling, Postma re-
members landing in shallow
water and a rocky creek bed,
Watson hit nearby and Carter
fell into deeper water on his
stomach with his head sub-
merged. He appeared uncon-
scious. When Postma flipped
him over, he felt relieved as
Carter took a breath.
The trio attempted to make
sense of what had just hap-
pened.
“We were dazed and con-
fused,” Postma said. “There
was so much adrenaline.”
They took stock. Carter
had two collapsed lungs and
his glasses were gone. Postma
had a broken right leg and
pelvis. A bone stuck out of
his arm. Watson had the
most injuries.
“His leg was completely
shattered,” Carter said.
Postma and Watson,
both members of the Ore-
gon Army National Guard,
started thinking strategically.
Watson needed a tourniquet
energytrust.org
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian
Holli Hill, mother of Cody Watson, receives a hug March 16, 2022, after presenting a $5,000 check to
representatives of the Umatilla County Search and Rescue at a Umatilla County Board of Commissioners
meeting in Pendleton.
on his leg. They decided that
Carter should hike out.
Before leaving, Carter used
his shoelaces and a stick to
splint Watson’s leg and fash-
ion a tourniquet. He stared
up at the sheer rock walls and
and decided to head down
the creek to find a better way
up and out of the ravine. He
planned to hike back to the
pickup, get his cellphone and
call 911. As twilight faded
into inky blackness, he re-
alized that this wouldn’t be
easy. As he walked, carefully
avoiding the edge, he re-
members feeling lost. Finally
he opted to wait until dawn
to get his bearings. He wor-
ried about his friends down
in that hole since they were
likely cold with the mist of
the waterfall constantly blow-
ing over them. After dawn,
he made it to the pickup.
He grabbed a rock and broke
the window of the pickup,
found his cellphone and called
911, telling the operator that he
and his friends had fallen off a
waterfall and had serious inju-
ries. The next call went to his
mother, who spread the word
to the families.
“We knew a litter pack out
would be difficult (in that ter-
rain),” Johnson said. “It’s one
of the hardest things to do.
All the helicopters (crews)
were off on a holiday.”
Search and rescue
It would probably take five
operation begins
hours. Johnson ordered the
A little after 9 a.m., SAR
supervisor Sgt. Dwight John- flight anyway. The helicop-
ter soon would head to Pilot
son got a call at home that
Rock from Salem.
three men had fallen about
50 feet into a deep, brushy
The list of responders grew.
canyon. One had hiked out
LifeFlight, Pilot Rock Fire
and two lay injured at the
Protection District, Pend-
bottom, one with a tourni-
leton Fire’s rope rescue and
quet on his leg.
ambulance personnel, U.S.
Johnson began gathering
Forest Service fire crew from
resources.
Ukiah, a Forest Service short
“Our unit is all volunteer,”
haul helicopter, Union Coun-
he said. “Our key rope guy
ty’s rope team and Umatilla
wasn’t available so my next call County Fire District No. 1
was to Union County for mu- Chief Scott Stanton who ran
tual aid. They have more rope- the operation along with
trained people than we do.”
Johnson.
Johnson activated Uma-
In the canyon, sleep
tilla County’s SAR unit, then evaded Postma and Watson.
requested a Black Hawk he-
They spent the night trying
licopter from the National
to stay warm, talking about
Guard with the ability to
family and friends and won-
hoist people from narrow,
dering if this would be their
hard-to-reach places.
last conversation.