Wilderness 911. Do you go or stay?

S

switchback

Joined
Sep 26, 2000
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57
Hi, all.

Nice place you have here. I’m always looking to become a more knowledgeable and prepared outdoorsman and it looks as though I’ve found good place to learn.

Would anyone like to offer me some input on what should be done in the following situation?

You’re 4 days out on a 7-day backpacking/hunting trip. The other person in your group (there are only two of you) has an accident and can’t walk out under his own power or even with your assistance. You’ve left an itinerary with a dependable friend so help will eventually come.

1. What variables should you consider when deciding whether to go for help or to stay with the victim?

If you decide to leave the victim and go for help:

2. What should you consider in selecting a route?
3. How should you prepare the victim before leaving him?
4. What gear should you take with you and what should you leave with the victim?

I know the answers to these questions will depend significantly on the environment encountered and the wilderness skills of those taking part, but even some general guidelines would give me something to think about.

Thanks.
 
The answer is.....it depends. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to the situation you describe. I say this as a solo hiker with 30 years experience on the AT or in the Rockies. I've also received the best first aid training and experience in the world - I was on my town's volunteer rescue squad as an emergency medical technician for 10 years. The guys in the ER have it easy compared to a first responder. Most problems I've run across are people without water or without a basic first aid kit or first aid knowledge. They couldn't even deal with a foot blister. Anyway, I suggest that anyone going into the wilderness take a course on wilderness medicine or basic first aid.
 
As you mentioned there are many variables that one must consider with this answer.

However... I think the KEY is... that this individual is non mobile and in such a bad way that you are unable to move him/her. If you leave him/her alone they will continue to be that way. Unable to get water, food, feed the fire, or defend themself from any preditors. Thus...Since you had the foresight to leave an schedule of your trip... I say stay put and meet your needs until rescue arrives. Meeting your needs means prioritizing and meeting in order or preference the "five survival essentials":

1. Personal Protection... maintain and wear your clothing loose and layered, construct a shelter that will protect you from the elements, prepare an area for a fire, gather the wood and build a reflector. (clothing, shelter, fire)

2. Signaling... get out a ground to air signal, blow your whistle, use your signal mirror to scan the horizon, gather wood for a fire and boughs for smoke, and prepare any manmade smoke or flares that you have.

3. Sustenence... focus on water... although food is nice it isn't needed. Ration your sweat not your water.

4. Travel... hmmmmmm unless your friend can move this is not an option at this time. However, you might want to triangulate to id you exact location.

5. Health... take care of your friends injury... don't forget about shock. Prevent environmental injuries like caused from heat or cold. Keep your spirits up.... try to decrease the stress as best you can... after all rescue will be comming soon. (stress, environmental, and traumatic).

I went through this fast... on my way to work out... probably got spelling areas and left out a few things but I think you get my drift.... Anyone else got something to add....

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Greg Davenport
Simply Survival's Wilderness Survival Forum
Simply Survival's Web Page
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?
 
Fraser and Greg-

Thanks for your responses. You both make a lot of sense. Perhaps the key to having a “successful” wilderness experience is to know when you’re getting in over your head. I’m relatively new to backpacking but have managed to take 2 or 3 week-long trips a year for the past 6 years or so, about half being solo. But I‘m set on not letting my previous successes go to my head. I’ve seen a lot of people push their limits until eventually they climb in too deep and can’t get their butts out. People have commented to me that I’m nuts for going out alone. I’ve given it some thought and rationalize my safety in the backcountry in this way:

I’d like to think that you are less likely to have an accident in the backcountry than you are in an urban environment (I’ve seen stats that say this is true, but I think it depends on how you rationalize it). In an urban environment, due to the close proximity of help, you’re most often wagering personal property and some pain and suffering. In the backcountry, you’re wagering your life. Little troubles can quickly turn around and bite you. So in other words, you’re less likely to run into trouble on trail than in town, but you’re playing for higher stakes in the woods.

So your responses do make a lot of sense to me. Enroll in a first aid course and get the odds as much in your favor as you can. And stay with the victim because you’re his best chance to survive.

I’ve started a search for first responder courses. Has anyone had any good experiences with a particular program?

Thanks again
 
Far be it from me to disagree with what's been said before me. I would add another decision factor to the stay/go however. My decision would primarily be dependant on my untrained diagnosis of the injury, and the time/distance to help.

If the injury were stable, I'd stay put. If the injury needed treatment more than I could provide soon, I'd go. For example, a simple fracture that was splinted is no reason to run yer butt off for help. A large, dirty gash likely to become infected is a reason. In six days, the 24 hours you saved by running home could make the difference between life or limb for him.

If I was four days into a seven day trip, but only 12 hours of safe hiking from help, I'd probably go. No sense in waiting the three days plus rescue time for help to show up when you can get it there overnight. Or, is this a fly-in trip, where you need to be at the destination in three days so that the pilot who comes to get you knows where to look for your buddy? Hoever, if this is a sadistic hiking trip, planning on three more brutal days to civilization, then there's little sense in running off and leaving your buddy for seven days, and have help arrive in the same time anyways.

So yes, like Greg and Fraser, I too say, "It depends". And it depends on a lot. Don't go for help just because you can't think of anything else, but don't stay with a time critical injury unless you really do have the skill and tools to make a difference.

Oh, and always take more than two. Then again, I prefer solo...
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Stryver
 
I would agree that most of the time it is best to stay put until help arrives.However;I also agree that if your partners injuries need immediate attention and he/she may be unlikely to survive without medical attention.I would say if it was a relatively short hike overnight or one day,it might be better to try to go for help than hope help arrives within a few days.This brings up a good point though,no matter how experienced and trained in survival one is.I think it is always a good idea to leave information with a friend/spouse about a hunt or hiking adventure to include location,approxiamate time table for being out there,intended destination etc.,so that if you become missing there will be someone with a general idea of where to send help to look for you,if you should fail to return.Cell phones in ones survival equipment pack should be a consideration also when hiking/hunting.Chow,Ralph
 
Don't move an inch.
Eventually someone will notice your missing(friends, family) and they'll send out help.
It will be alot easier for help to find you if your stationary rather than risking your injured friends life to go play hero.
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Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn my god do you learn.
C.S. Lewis
 
According to the original post I'm 4 days out on a 7-day trip. That means nobody will start to look for us for at least 3 more days. They might even wait until the 4th day before starting a search. Once they start a search they will be moving slow and would probably take about 3 days to find us (after all, we're 4 days out). So you probably will not see help for 4 to 6 days (maybe longer).
So, it really would depend on the severity of the injury. You might not have time to wait it out.
Examples like this remind me why it's wise to take a 2-way radio along on long trips afield (and check in with a home-base everyday).
 
Something I realized after posting this topic is even if you stay with the injured, there are things you can do to expedite rescue.

1. Greg already mentioned building/preparing a ground to air signal.

2. Walk to the nearest road even if it appears seldom traveled. Rather than wait for a passing vehicle, leave a distress signal and instructions then head back to the victim (be sure to disassemble/remove it prior to leaving the area to ensure unnecessary searches are not launched post-rescue).

3. If you are hiking in the lower 48 states, it is unlikely that you are truly alone. The shortest path to assistance may be to other hiker camps rather than to a ranger station or town. Look for the smoke from fires during the day, or flashlight beams at night. Listen for chatter or even dogs barking. Chart a route that will take you through one of the more populated areas of the wilderness and back to your injured partner before the end of the day. Anyone encountered can be enlisted to hike out and initiate a rescue.

If nothing else, working toward the above will keep you occupied. Of course, as stated in the previous posts, how long you can/should leave the victim unattended depends on the type and severity of the victim’s injuries.

In other cases… geez if it looks like the injuries are so severe that his chances are slim, it would be a tough call. I’d almost say that the more sever the injury, the more likely I would stay. If the situation is critical and you stay with him, with your help, he may hold on for days; without you, he may be gone in hours, long before you can mount a rescue.


If he is stable but would benefit from immediate help, and most importantly, if I were absolutely convinced he could hang on without me, I’d go. I’d stick to maintained trails where possible for ease of travel and near foolproof route finding.

switchback


[This message has been edited by switchback (edited 10-17-2000).]
 
This is not an area I have any expertise in, but situations like this make me think that along with the rest of your gear you definitely want to bring a cell phone (two would be much better) and a small GPS unit. This would make it much easier to find help and for help to find you.

Waiting for help could take longer than expected. If you're due back in 3 days, expect at least 24 hours after that before a search party is launched. Then, if they hike along your route, it'll be 4 more days till they find you (much quicker if they fly over in a helicopter). So you're waiting up to 8 days. You might not have enough food or water to last that long, etc. If you could expect to find help even 24hrs from when you leave the victim, that might be a good choice.
 
Although it wouldn't hurt to have a GPS and Cell phone.... have you seen the movie "six days, seven nights?"

There are a lot of issues that must be considered when bringing these devices and you should never count on them. Good solid skills will never fail you... electronic devices often will.

Best,

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Greg Davenport
Simply Survival's Wilderness Survival Forum
Simply Survival's Web Page
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?
 
I dislike the casual use of GPS for navigation. It is certainly a fantastic aid, but I have seen them be quite wrong, and without a basic understanding of navigation, and basic navigation tools, they could easily lead one astray. When they are right, they are fantastic, but on the rare occasion that they are wrong, or the much less rare occasion that they simply do nothing, then they are about as useful, and a lot more expensive, than a rock.


Stryver
 
Regarding cell phones; they are extremely unlikely to be useful, although I still carry one and a spare battery (unlikely doesn't mean never). The reason is that they work on FM, which is basically line of sight transmission. You get very far from a cell, and there is bound to be something in the way of the signal, especially in mountainous terrain.

Which is why I was so delighted when the Iridium system came out. This had over 60 LEO satellites orbiting, so that it was likely that one would be overhead, or at least overhead enough to give you line of sight transmission, nearly all the time. Unfortunately, not enough people were willing to pay $5,000 for a cell phone, the company went belly up, and the satellites are burning up.

The only option of which I am aware (and someone let me know if I am wrong) is a conventional satellite phone. This depends on a geosynchronous orbit satellite(s). Since the fact that the orbit of the satellite is determined both in orbit direction (at the equator and following it), and in orbital altitude, 22,400 miles, by simply declaring it to be geosynchronus (think it through), this means that if you use line of sight, and they do, that you have to have a much stronger signal to penetrate all the stuff that gets in the way. Which is why satellite phones are the size of briefcases, and have a small dish you have to point at the satellite. Carrying one of these would be hard to justify on a backpacking trip.

I agree with the carrying of a GPS unit. I know it doesn't replace conventional navagation, but the news had an item recently about the frequency with which people would find themselves lost, their cell phone would work, but they couldn't direct rescuers to their location. As I recall, there is going to be a directional chip installed in all cell phones in a few years so that the caller can be located.

Walt

[This message has been edited by Walt Welch (edited 10-24-2000).]
 
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