Hunter Breaks leg---Crawls for days until rescued

I doubt he would have made it without his "kit".

Remarkable story really and a real life survival story. This one could happen to any of us who move about the woods alone.
 
Good story about survival, and again reinforce how important are the selection of tools inside kit should serve different survival priorities. Should he have a PLB with him, maybe he could have gotten help a lot sooner.

I often feel that is the weak link for many kits I have seen online/youtube, many are lacking in the signal department which is ironic since getting rescue should be the ultimate goal.
 
"Sain was bow hunting for elk in remote wilderness near McCall last week when his foot slipped between two logs and he fell. The accident broke both of the bones in Sain’s lower leg, leaving him badly injured and unable to walk."

Only takes one wrong move.
 
I've been thinking of adding a PLB to go my gear soon . They're not cheap but good piece of mind
 
wow, one lucky dude. i wonder what would've happened if the motorcyclists didn't stumble onto him.
 
I had a potentially serious incident in the Arkansas mountains (many miles from anywhere) where I couldn't move my pickup (two wheel drive). I was in my mid-20's and indestructible (I thought?). I was in essence sideways in a one lane loose gravel road on a grade with steep slopes. Couldn't do anything on my own without risking sliding my vehicle down into the wooded down slope which might have turned it over in this case. Bikers saved my butt that day after messing around, scratching my head on solutions, and kicking myself in the butt for taking such an un-necessary risk in the first place. It was hours of waiting..... just didn't want to take extra-ordinary measures which were very risky by myself.
 
Now here's someone I wouldn't ridicule if they called for assistance. ;)

"Oh dear, I can't find proper track. Can you come and walk me to the car park?" is not the same thing as "Hey, my leg's busted off and I could use a hand."
He wasn't three miles from town or even three miles from his truck. He was three miles from the trail!
Those Arizona rafters were perfectly healthy and couldn't walk three miles to the highway. :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
with the prices of PLBs coming down drastically over the past few years, more competition in the market, and more rentals available, I think they are a good choice for anyone going solo, or remote.

In this guy's case yeah it would have gotten him out, but the bigger factor was keeping that mindset of survive. At the end of the day it was mindset not skills or gear that got him out of there. I also applaud his openness to admit he considered taking the other exit. I think its important to know that might cross your mind so that you can work to defeat it. Others might get surprised and not be ready, or feel its a sign of weakness, which it certainly isn't. I'm guessing he was planning on being out for quite some time if he felt that no one would be coming looking.

Comis, you are correct that most people don't focus enough on signaling. The mentality among North American survivalists is that the only option for rescue is self-rescue. In other places hand-held PLBs have been more common or other methods of communication, or rescue services are more well known to the public and therefore are better understood when it comes to activating them. In a lot of north america the mindset is that you are on your own, and must survive on your own, anyone who relies on rescue shouldn't be out there. The reality is that the situation is not that black and white.
 
This is amazing and let me say that this is one tough SoB. I have had a compound fib/tib break. I tried splinting with the help of friends just to get me to the vehicle. And to make matters worse, while I was trying to stabilize it, some 6 year old little girl kept screaming at the top of her lungs. I finally figured out that the screams were coming from me. ;)
 
You don't step between two log and trip and break your leg, anyone should of seen that coming. Not to mention the rattler or copperhead that might be laying in wait between those two logs. I have traversed over 1000 miles of off trail hunting, etc., and never took any foolish moves like setting myself up for a broken leg. No excuse for it. If you have to cross a log, step on it and jump clear. If you don't know basic woodsman skills, don't go alone next time.
 
kindasharp said:
You don't step between two log and trip and break your leg, anyone should of seen that coming. Not to mention the rattler or copperhead that might be laying in wait between those two logs. I have traversed over 1000 miles of off trail hunting, etc., and never took any foolish moves like setting myself up for a broken leg. No excuse for it. If you have to cross a log, step on it and jump clear. If you don't know basic woodsman skills, don't go alone next time.
Click to expand...
Too bad he didn't have you there to warn him of his mistake. All sarcasm aside, its pretty bold of you to suggest that you never make mistakes and anyone who trips and falls is unfit to be in the woods. Personally I try to avoid stepping on logs as that has caused me more injuries than stepping over. But sarcasm back on, I guess I'll go sell my hiking gear since I shouldn't be out in the woods.

Zoomie, Glad you can laugh about it now, funny how that works sometimes, I've never experienced it, but have heard from paramedic friends, the patient turns to them and says something like, why isn't anyone helping the other person! well, pal, its because you're the only one here.
 
I think that the biggest mistake he made was going alone into the wilderness. I have done it once in a while, but always over well traveled trails, never out in the woods where I will never be found if something happened to me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top