Man-vs-Wild saves 9-year old's life

Lol... I knew that post was coming.. just didn't think it would be the very next post!
 
I disagree about it almost killing him. Come on, buddy. He's 9 years old. If it would not have been for that show, and something to concentrate on, the kid would have probably freaked out and may have ended in a worse situation. But, YMMV.
 
That is a good point. The Will to Live is the most important thing to have in the woods, and the show did give him that. Still, a lot of bad moves on his part. :o
 
EMT_Lee said:
I disagree about it almost killing him. Come on, buddy. He's 9 years old. If it would not have been for that show, and something to concentrate on, the kid would have probably freaked out and may have ended in a worse situation. But, YMMV.
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This is kind of where I'm at. I'm looking less at the specific skills he misinterpretted, and more at the lesson he learned about keeping a cool head and making a plan. So his plan was flawed. He's 9. I agree that a different 9-year old may have freaked out and done something REALLY stupid.
 
If the boy had been allowed to carry this knife, he could still be out there, eating horse dung and drinking his own urine. Then he could have built a hang glider from his jacket and flown to safety.
YKBEAR008.jpg

The Bear knife weighs nothing. It floats in mid-air.
YKBEAR003.jpg
 
He didn't keep a cool head, he panicked and dropped his back pack and first layer of shelter (rain jacket). How much stupider does it get?

I agree, he is only 9, but that's why parents have to teach their kids and not rely on a tv show.
 
BlairB said:
He didn't keep a cool head, he panicked and dropped his back pack and first layer of shelter (rain jacket). How much stupider does it get?

I agree, he is only 9, but that's why parents have to teach their kids and not rely on a tv show.
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Wow. I think I'll go ahead and step back from this thread early on. When people start calling a scared kid stupid, it's time to move along. :thumbdn:
 
I agree with all you guys. Just glad he didn't think it would be a good idea to jump off a waterfall because you NEED to get down the river faster.

This could have ended a lot worst.
 
I look at it this way.....HE'S NINE YEARS OLD. Cut him some slack, if anything he did what he THOUGHT was best. Would an un-educated adult done any better? He did tear up the jacket which wasnt a smart move, but lets face it at least he had hope. Isnt part of survival about the HOPE of being able to survive and keeping your spirits up? Yeah he dropped his pack, which was a mistake but he was still able to make a shelter and still got out. Though he may not have done what everyone else would have, he tried.

Not the "Oh he at snakes and didnt panick for a second and lasted 3 days" survival story we may have hoped to read. But at least he's safe.
 
I agree with the other posts... But I do have to say that the show provided him with something to think about.
 
My $0.02 worth: The kid did the wrong thing, but the fact that he did something is worth a lot. I'd have probably freaked out when I was 9.
 
EMT_Lee said:
I disagree about it almost killing him. Come on, buddy. He's 9 years old. If it would not have been for that show, and something to concentrate on, the kid would have probably freaked out and may have ended in a worse situation. But, YMMV.
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I will back you on this one, Lee. If he was older, maybe not. But he is 9. A lot of 9 year olds would have been completely freaked out, and may have went running, without leaving a trail at all.
 
I'm happy to hear that this turned out well, and that he kept a cool head. Sure, it wasn't the best reaction to the situation, but, as others have said, at least it was a reaction.

And I'm always happy to hear about 9-year-olds who enjoy hiking. There are a lot of kids around here who would go to pieces at the thought of spending the weekend in a northern Utah forest sans-iPod, let alone spending a night separated from their party.

All the best,

- Mike
 
My neice just turned 10, so I'm pretty familiar with a modern-day 9 year old. That kid was dumb, and so were his parents. Tear up your jacket a follow a river? What? That's purely a result of his parents not teaching him the one survival skill every kid should know if they get lost: STAY PUT.
 
Yep, staying put on the trail is the best thing, parents paying attention and enforcing solid communication is another.

Why the parents took their kid out, and separated without even a whistle is beyond me. riding a trail is a together time activity.

I'm a paranoid dad, my kids would have whistle, 2 way radio, food/water, knife and I'd probably go ahead and get a GPS tracking system for them too, just in case I got stupid and lazy and let them out of my sight.
 
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