They learned a LESSON--and I'm glad they did not panic

From reading other sources it seems they made it 15 miles down the river before losing the rafts.

Then they sat around for 9 hours trying to get a cell phone to work, then they waited overnight, and a helicopter saw them the next day. They had limited food but plenty of water and a portable shelter. No one was injured, the weather was moderate, and they weren't overdue for anything back home.

None of the news articles pinpoint the exact location where the three were stranded, but it was below Coolidge Dam somewhere near Winkleman. If they had a map they must have known about all of the roads in the area, and vehicle access points into the river canyon. From looking at the maps, at no point could they have been more than five miles from a town. And there's a train track that runs adjacent to the river for the entire distance.

All of this makes me wonder if a risky and expensive helicopter 'rescue' was necessary. Why didn't they walk out, either up or down the river to the nearest town, or at least get themselves to the nearest road? To me it sounds a lot like, "Oh dear, my bicycle got a flat while riding this trail so I'm going to sit and wait for a helicopter ride home."

:confused: :confused: :confused:

Anyone familiar enough with that section of the Gila River to provide some insight?
 
Bob W said:
...All of this makes me wonder if a risky and expensive helicopter 'rescue' was necessary. Why didn't they walk out, either up or down the river to the nearest town, or at least get themselves to the nearest road? To me it sounds a lot like, "Oh dear, my bicycle got a flat while riding this trail so I'm going to sit and wait for a helicopter ride home."
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I get what you're saying. Maybe a little more effort could have been made on their part before relying on a rescue team. I don't know the area though so I can't comment on where they were in regards to roads or towns.

Still, it is a great thing when a story like this ends without anybody passing. And good on them for keeping a cool head and not panicking. I might also add just for general helpful knowledge (more of a reminder really as I'm sure most everyone here already knows) that three separate fires arranged a reasonable distance apart (say around 100 ft.) and in a triangle pattern is a well-known distress signal to rescue teams and those in aviation.
 
In the early morning or close to sundown, SOS made of trenches (soil looks pretty soft) also show well to air search.
 
It's crazy hearin of people getting lost in the woods. Especially by a river. Just follow the river and you'll find a road or a town. No river or stream, Aside from the deep woods in the Northwest, I can't think of anyplace that's more than 3 days walk in any direction from a paved road or town.
 
I was curious about the topography; if it were a very steep canyon with no way out (like the Grand Canyon or the Taos Gorge) and they were resting on a rare riverside terrace I'd be more understanding. So I checked Google Maps.

The most remote part would be the first stretch from Coolidge Dam to Hwy 77. It's about seven miles between the last minor road crossing below the dam and Hwy 77, so a walkout would be three or four miles max. Part of that area is Jerusalem Canyon, which does appear quite steep, but not anything like vertical bluffs. You can use the Google Street View at Hwy 77 to see what that exact area looks like.

Based on how far the news reports claim the group managed in the boats, I'd guess they made it past Hwy 77.

After meeting Hwy 77, there are paved highways (Hwys 77 and 177) right along the river until after the town of Kearney. You can place the yellow Street View figure anywhere along this route and see that the area is rocky desert hills.

The second-most remote section is between the "Florence-Kevin Highway" crossing and the East Diversion Dam Road where the land becomes agricultural and dotted with houses and farms. Total distance is 12 miles, so the furthest walkout would be ~6 miles. About midway through this 12 mile stretch are the historic ruins of Cochran, AZ, a popular "ghost town" site. Additionally there are several other vehicle access points, and a railroad travels riverside the entire distance.

Maybe someone personally familiar with the area can tell me I've got it all wrong... But I'm not a believer in the "sit and wait" survival method, and I'll be danged if I'm going to stand around for nine hours and be stuck out overnight instead of hiking for two or three miles.
 
I would have almost been ashamed to admit that I was rescued via helicopter under the circumstances you describe Bob W.

I looked on Google Maps and could not see a railroad bed? Maybe I was looking too close to the dam?
 
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The railroad follows the river downstream beginning in Winkleman.
So maybe they never made it as far as Winkleman?

I'm looking closer at the river canyon topography... It is a steep canyon, too steep to ascend in some places, and the easiest/closest/safest route is following the river. Plus, I'd want to stay close to the river as a source of water.
Still, it is only ~12 miles from the dam to the highway, and if they rafted for three hours downstream they must have gotten fairly close to the highway.

Nowhere does it say they lost their supplies either. The rafts were torn and couldn't be used, but it seems like they still had multiple days' worth of food, their overnight gear, and the last raft as shelter.
 
I tipped over in a canoe too once and also survived. Didn't have to call a helicopter though. :D
 
jonnyt16 said:
This just came out. Another survival story that ended well. Tough old lady... http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/missing-hiker-found-alive-days-lost-sierra-nevada-33407165
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Great Story of how your attitude can make the difference between surviving or not

Thanks for posting-as I try to learn from others as much as I can and fight the ever present human trait to state what I would have done in that same situation.It's a whole lot easier to sit in front of your computer screen and tell others what they should have done--but until you find yourself in the same situation you really do not know how you will react.
 
jonnyt16 said:
This just came out. Another survival story that ended well. Tough old lady... http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/missing-hiker-found-alive-days-lost-sierra-nevada-33407165
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If that lady called for a helicopter rescue, I wouldn't blame her one bit. :thumbup:
Goes to show just how large a role will and determination play when it comes to survival.
And how important it is to keep your Ten Essentials handy. She had a treatment method for creating drinking water; she had a day's worth of emergency food; and she had a whistle for signalling to rescuers.

Here's a CNN story that has more details on the location and rescue efforts. http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/29/us/hiker-found-alive/index.html
 
WILLIAM.M said:
Great Story of how your attitude can make the difference between surviving or not
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And maybe a lesson on taking the initiative to help herself. Had she stayed where she injured herself, she likely would have died from dehydration. Had she even waited to begin her two-day crawl to the creek, she might not have made it.

Honest though, if I had crawled two days with broken bones to reach the stream, I wouldn't have fooled around with treating the water. :)
 
What a load of tripe. The kayakers were never in any danger. I hope they charge them the entire cost of the needless rescue and throw a couple thousand dollars in fines on top of that. SAR is not a taxi service. You are responsible for getting yourself out.

The lady with the broken bones, now that is survival and worthy of SAR. Anything less and you had better be getting yourself out.
 
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