Statement Regarding County Survey employee injured July 17

For Immediate Release: Friday, July 18, 2014

At approximately 1:45 p.m. yesterday afternoon, Dennis Keister, 57, a survey crew member working for the Washington County Department of Land Use & Transportation sustained serious, but non-life threatening injuries while working in a remote location in the rural Gales Creek area. His fellow crew members attended to him and called 911. Forest Grove Fire & Rescue and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office initially responded to the scene. Ultimately, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter rescue crew retrieved Mr. Keister from the ravine and transported him to a local hospital. He remains hospitalized at this time. His condition is stable.

"Please join us in wishing Dennis a full and speedy recovery. On behalf of the entire Department of Land Use & Transportation, I want to thank the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Forest Grove Fire & Rescue, the Coast Guard Air Station Astoria search and rescue helicopter crew, and the other responders that participated in yesterday’s challenging rescue operation and hospital transport," said Andrew Singelakis, the county’s director of land use & transportation. "We truly appreciate these first responders' professionalism and commitment to public safety."

Mr. Keister is a Survey Technician III. He has been employed with the Department of Land Use & Transportation since April 2014.

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