Lessons learned, lost in Ecuador

C

candlelight001

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Jun 3, 2008
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A friend of mine's 19 yr old sister just got back from a student trip in Ecuador. While on a group hike up a volcano, she and two others got separated from the group, got lost, and wound up off trail. They decided to go downhill through the rainforest and ended up sliding 60 feet down a waterfall, hurting (unclear how bad) legs on two of them. They were stuck between the waterfall they had slid down and one below them. Spent the night out, covered themselves with branches to try, unsuccessfully to keep the rain out. Were unable to signal the helicopter the next day. Finally rescued by two indigenous people who were out picking blackberry's off trail and heard them screaming.

The first thing the indians did we they found them was whip out cellphones and take pictures! Then they guided them back to the trail.

I asked the girl what lessons learned for the rest of us? She said: "bring a whistle. And a flashlight. And something to start a fire with. And don't wear a cotton sweater." Amazing how it a all boils down to the same basics...
 
It amazes me that people go to a place they are unused to going and they think it is as safe as a stroll in the mall. Glad they made it out safely.
 
Live and learn, but what I don't hear is "Don't get lost."

Glad they are back and okay.

ETA: I don't mean any disrespect by what I've said, I've been reading Hiker Hell a bit and it seems a lot of bad situations start because a group got separated.
 
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Could've turned into a really bad situation ... great to hear they're okay.
 
My Ecuador lesson is "DON'T DRINK THE WATER"!!! Was being really careful, watching what I consumed, and dang if I didn't take a few drinks of Tang at breakfast before I identified it....yup, made of tap water....

Stinkin projectile vomiting/diarrhea for a miserable few days.....

Doc
 
I have a lot of good memories of Ecuador. I worked deep in the Amazon on the eastern side for a few years. Contact with the natives was generally pleasant, and the jungle was amazing, but I have never been in a place with more dangers (or resources) per square meter! I discovered a whole new set of rules down there. Those kids are lucky.
 
Rob_G said:
Live and learn, but what I don't hear is "Don't get lost."

Glad they are back and okay.
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I did a lot of hiking and "exploring" around Patuca, Ecuador when I was stationed down there in the mid 90's. We were fortunate enough to have a major river nearby...basically the headwaters to the Amazon. Still, it was easy to get into the thick growth in some of the smaller valleys and get a little disoriented. For me a compass was critical if you lost sight or sound of the major river...

ROCK6
 
I'm glad to hear that they made it out okay. I think that most of us here would have gladly taken their place over there (with edc and psk of course :p).

Take care, J.
 
The first thing the indians did when they found them was whip out cellphones and take pictures!
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I love that!

We get lost in the jungle.
Would they get lost in the city? Maybe not ... :D
 
other message is carry your cellphone!!

One of my school mates got lost in the forest in New Guinea - so called 5foot forest (that is all you can see). 20 years later he has still not been found. We don't know if he was murdered for his cameras, or by seperatists, or simply lost off trail and possibly fell down a cliff.

Glad there was a happy end on this one.

Very similar to the English guy who got lost here in oz a couple of weeks ago

I even carry a compass when I travel to another city!

My phone has compass and GPS and can do satellite imaging onto it - which I admit I have used when I got turned around in thick bush and ended up on a different ridge than I intended. I knew I was only a few 100m from open space but beign sure of it and knowing clearly which direction it was was comforting
 
Wow, very sorry to hear that Davyd :(

Sounds a lot like those "I shouldn't be alive" or "I survived" type of situations for your friend. There was an episode where 3 friends were looking for some tribe and they had a guide with them. One guy got some sort of trench foot and stayed behind with the guide while the other two went their own way. The friend and the guide were never seen again. I suppose you can never be too prepared. Cell phones are quite amazing nowadays (more like gps, laptop, mp3, video player, camera that occasionally makes phone calls :o). Having more than one way to determine direction is always a plus, much like having several ways of starting a fire. Watch, compass, gps/phone, shadow trick, etc...

I hope the best for your friend, whether it was him prospering here or in another place.

Take care, J.
 
Thanks it was a long time ago - we wern't that close but it was a shock at the time - the first of the school crowd to take the long jump. The start of the realisation that we wern't invulnerable. The second was run over by one of his friends - twice!

But goes to show - even an intensive search with the Australian army going over to help (I think) never located him - 5 foot forest

he would not have got out - it was an area where white skins attracted notice at the time - he would have had to have been seen and remembered a number of times on the tracks and villages he would have had to have passed through.
 
ravaillac said:
not only you get lost but you end on youtube, that really sucks.
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:d :d :d

edit: Okay, now my post is funny by itself, since the coding converted my smilies into :d some lame thing that doesn't even mean anything in L33t. :D

edit again: and now it's taking my typed smilies. sigh.
 
The first GO TO safety device you should carry is a CELL PHONE. If ya got that you probably don't need anything else.
Glad they are ok
 
You never know about cell phones in different countries. Even if there's coverage it's likely to be a different network, etc. My cell phone didn't work in Ecuador.
 
John-Boy said:
You never know about cell phones in different countries. Even if there's coverage it's likely to be a different network, etc. My cell phone didn't work in Ecuador.
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Exactly, but more importantly is the cost of the coverage and roaming fees involved in making that rescue call :D

Then after you are rescued by chopper, you get a $20,000 + bill (see Boy Scout thread) :p
 
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