Hiker Rescue

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pilgrim

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Today's Conway Daily Sun reports that on July 19, a 63 year old Maine woman took the wrong turn descending the Jewell Trail and got lost. Her husband, traveling slower than her, did not make the same mistake and reported her missing after completing the hike. NH Fish & Game located her and walked her out at about 11:15 PM.

Conservation Officer Matt Holmes "pointed out that her rescue, like the last three rescues, involved people who only intended to be out for a day hike and did not prepare for a worst-case scenario."
 
Define "worst-case scenario"...

Darkness? Rain? Torrential rain?? Biblical rain??? Locusts? Animal attack? Lost in the woods?
 
dug said:
Define "worst-case scenario"...

Darkness? Rain? Torrential rain?? Biblical rain??? Locusts? Animal attack? Lost in the woods?

How about this one???
Something as "simple" as an open tib-fib fracture with black clouds overhead and no cell signal. :eek:
 
What is the point of these threads again?

Are we supposed to discuss what they did wrong, so we learn from their mistakes? Are we supposed to discuss the officer's comments?

Or are we supposed to snigger at their misfortune while reclining at our computers - smugly assured that something like that would never happen to one of US?
 
Your partner drives an axe deep into his shinbone and blood comes gouting out in a wide arc. As you spring to his assistance you trip and go sprawling into a bed of hot coals sustaining 3rd degree burns to your chest and neck as your synthetic clothing melts and clings to your skin. As you get up and move towards your now white and prostate partner you realize that you also became impaled on a sharp stick, narrowly avoiding cardiac tamponade but nevertheless you have a sucking chest wound. It is 30 degrees below zero.

Act as you should.
 
Worst case scenario for me would be that I die. :eek:

In which case, it really doesn't matter what the hell I have, or don't have, in my pack, does it? :rolleyes:

JohnL
 
albee said:
What is the point of these threads again?

Are we supposed to discuss what they did wrong, so we learn from their mistakes? Are we supposed to discuss the officer's comments?

Or are we supposed to snigger at their misfortune while reclining at our computers - smugly assured that something like that would never happen to one of US?

1. It points out that all day hikers should probably be prepared for an overnight in the woods.

2. It shows how easily, especially for new people who I think come to this site looking for information, that an unintended overnight can occur or how a simple day hike can go wrong. How information like staying together in this case might have made a difference. It should also point out that it could have gotten much worse than that. Like the tib/fib fracture scenario. No need to prepare for locust as they are food so no worries there. Snow, rain and sleet on the other hand is something you might want to prepare for depending on how high on the mountain and the time of year. It is not uncommon to have beautiful morning followed by tremendous lightning and downpours in the late afternoon. Is that worth knowing if you are unfamiliar with mountain weather? It also should point out that in other incidents people have been fined or made significant monetary donations for being unprepared. Again, if that points out the need to be prepared so you don't need a needless rescue, that is a good thing also. It also points out that there are areas where you won't get a cell phone signal. If that is your primary method of getting help you may want to plan for an alternate. If you get yourself off trail how will you behave? This rescue should be making people ask very good questions. This is something that could happen to just about anyone so the questions asked should be pretty far reaching.

3. No one is sniggering, (I think you made that word up by the way ;) ) at the misfortune of a 63 year old woman that I can see. I know I read it because I train people in Search and Rescue and also do rescues and secondly I know that it could occur to me. That is why I want to know if the packs that I carry i.e. daypack, 48 hour pack, camping pack, etc. I want to know if my pack (and requisite knowledge) would get me through this type of situation if I was the victim or if I was a rescuer would I have had what I needed to help this victim and would my teams?

4. I suspect that we will list whenever someone is lost and/or rescued on this site. At least I hope we keep doing it. I know that I will read it to try to learn from it. If it really disturbs you it may make sense to not read it. I mean the thread clearly states "hiker rescue". What did you think the thread was going to be about? :p

Just my $.02,
Keith
 
Neil said:
Your partner drives an axe deep into his shinbone and blood comes gouting out in a wide arc. As you spring to his assistance you trip and go sprawling into a bed of hot coals sustaining 3rd degree burns to your chest and neck as your synthetic clothing melts and clings to your skin. As you get up and move towards your now white and prostate partner you realize that you also became impaled on a sharp stick, narrowly avoiding cardiac tamponade but nevertheless you have a sucking chest wound. It is 30 degrees below zero.

Act as you should.


That is a really excellent training scenario, except if the stick was still in you, you shouldn't really have a sucking chest wound. ;) :D :p


Keith
 
SAR-EMT40 said:
That is a really excellent training scenario, except if the stick was still in you, you shouldn't really have a sucking chest wound. ;) :D :p
Keith
The stick pulled out as you lifted yourself off of it.
 
Neil said:
The stick pulled out as you lifted yourself off of it.

Assuming the stick was still in it's original condition, you may not get a fine for excessive and unauthorized trail maintenance.

If you kept the stick in you, you probably would be faced with additional fines.. ;)
 
albee said:
...are we supposed to snigger at their misfortune while reclining at our computers - smugly assured that something like that would never happen to one of US?
Not me. Come on folks, how many of you never missed a turn in a trail and continued for a while before realizing you weren't on the trail any more? Or ended up following a game trail until it petered out? Happened to me the winter before last, and I've been doing this for 40+ years. :eek:
I think 1Adam12 got it about right: Hope for the best, but be prepared. It's just an object lesson for all of us. Sh** happens, even to supermen (and superwomen).
 
Oldsmores said:
Not me. Come on folks, how many of you never missed a turn in a trail and continued for a while before realizing you weren't on the trail any more? Or ended up following a game trail until it petered out?
Good grief, that is my normal operating mode. Better to see where a "trail" dumps you than to never see it at all. Be it a ghost trail, game trail, or just wishful thinking following a linear depression on the ground leading you off somewhere, you gotta pay attention. It's all fun with map and compass at that. :D
 
Paradox said:
Definitions from ALLWORDS.COM

snigger
verb

intr
sniggered, sniggering
1. To laugh in a stifled or suppressed way, often derisively or mockingly.

noun

1. Such a laugh. Also called snicker.
Paradox, you aren't sniggering at Keth are you? Is there a "snigger" emoticon?

To keep this thread on track, I love reading mishap and accident reports, not to snigger but because they make me go, "Holy $hit! That could've easily have been me". Then, I am just a little bit less dumb and less inclined to become the subject of a first aid exam question such as the one that someone posted earlier on in the thread.
 
Paradox said:
Definitions from ALLWORDS.COM

snigger
verb

intr
sniggered, sniggering
1. To laugh in a stifled or suppressed way, often derisively or mockingly.

noun

1. Such a laugh. Also called snicker.


Damn! I knew I should have looked that one up just to make sure. :D

Keith
 
Neil said:
Is there a "snigger" emoticon?

icon_snigger.gif
icon_snigger.gif
icon_snigger.gif
icon_snigger.gif
icon_snigger.gif
icon_snigger.gif
icon_snigger.gif
 
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