Fisherman Rescued After Siri Call Following Boulder Incident

A fisherman narrowly escaped a life-threatening situation when a massive boulder trapped him, leading to severe facial injuries and requiring a rescue operation that involved Siri and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Joe Little, 28, was fishing alone at the Hammond Marina jetty near Astoria, Oregon, on Saturday morning when the incident occurred. According to his grandmother, Kelly Simonson, Little felt the boulder begin to move and attempted to brace himself. However, he slipped, and the boulder fell over him, trapping him beneath the high tide water line.

Realizing he was in danger of drowning, Little managed to activate Siri on his Bluetooth-connected phone and instruct it to call 911. The call was placed around 7 a.m., according to his mother, Mindy. Warrenton Police Department Sgt. Dylan McCoy stated that authorities used car horns to locate Little while a dispatcher kept him on the phone. A drone deployed by police eventually spotted him pinned by the boulder, with only his upper body and feet visible.

Emergency responders, including fire officials, worked to remove smaller rocks to free Little from the large boulder. Due to the dangerous terrain, local officials requested assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard. Dramatic footage released by the USCG shows guardsmen hoisting Little from the jetty via helicopter around 9 a.m.

Little was transported to Oregon Health & Science University Hospital in Portland, where he is being treated for extensive facial injuries, including a broken jaw. His mother described his face as being "almost unrecognizable" but expressed relief that he is alive, calling his survival "a miracle." He is scheduled to undergo an 8-hour facial reconstruction surgery on Thursday.