HA! At least I didn't have to call 911

[MrCoffee]

From the local news:
-- Amy Bilyard, 42, of Hoboken, N.J., and her 7-year-old son were located by Winhall Police after several hours of being lost in the trails around Grout Pond on Sept. 25. Bilyard and her son began a hike on the trails around 5 p.m. and lost their way before sunset. She called 911, reporting that they were lost and not dressed appropriately for the night. With limited information from Bilyard, police search and rescue teams managed to find the pair near the east loop trail, about a mile from the Grout Pond camping area, shortly before 10 p.m. They were cold and wet, but able to hike out of the woods on their own.

---

 

[R.A.T.]

One of the things we are covering in our Woodland Ops class is basic tracking so a LEO or Rescuer will have enough knowledge to pick up on a trail and find a lost kid, etc. in the woods. Most LE officers / rescue personnel do not have this basic training since their agency rarely provides it. In fact, while we were running the class last week, a couple of rescuers got turned around looking for a kayaker that didn't show up as scheduled. It's a shame when the rescuers become the victim due to lack of training.

 

[inspector_miami]

So it would make sense for rescuers to carry a small survival kit.

 

[MrCoffee]

Yupper-roo. That happens to be the exact area where I did my "shiver your butt off" to win a RAT e&e kit. Grout looks awesome this time of year, beautiful, right up til the time the sun starts going down and you realize it is only 50 degrees and falling. Current temp in Brattleboro is 53, Grout is 44.

As for the tracking, I am looking to do a SAR cource for CERT as soon as they off it again, but I would love to take an actual tracking course. Put in my resume to the K9 unit for VT/NH as a comms officer, don't know what will come of that.

Jeff, do you have to be a LEO to take your woodland courses?

 

[R.A.T.]

No, you don't have to be LE to take the Woodland Ops course (includes basic tracking). We do, however, have LE only courses that involves team tracking tactics when pursuing armed suspects (tactical tracking).