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Thread: How Surival Turns Deadly - It's Not a Game.

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Default How Surival Turns Deadly - It's Not a Game.

    Came across this today, just goes to show, that just because it's on the TV doesn't make it real.

    http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/arti...ilderness?bn=1

    Just before dawn on Thursday morning, Richard Code disappeared into the darkness and lit out for the Ontario wilderness, bringing little more than a few supplies and the skills he had learned from watching Survivorman, a reality show about subsisting in the bush.


    The 41-year-old left behind a note, asking his landlady to call police if he failed to return by Sunday night. On Monday, she reported him missing and on Wednesday afternoon, Code’s body was found in a marshy, snowed-in area just north of Huntsville.


    Police say Code’s death is not considered suspicious at this time and his brother Stephen Code said OPP have informed him that the cause of death was hypothermia.


    It remains unclear if Code has ever received formal wilderness training but relatives say much of his knowledge came from watching Survivorman. The Discovery Channel program featured survival expert Les Stroud living in the wilderness without food, shelter or equipment and Code would often attempt similar trips, venturing into the Muskoka backwoods without food or tents.
    For some outdoor education experts, “survivalist” reality shows have skewed the public’s perception of how dangerous it really is to live off the land, prompting inexperienced campers to venture into the woods with a bolstered sense of confidence.


    For survival instructor Gino Ferri, shows like Survivorman make for excellent entertainment but should never substitute real-world training.


    “TV abstracts the real ugliness of survival,” said Ferri, who runs a school called Survival in the Bush and trained Stroud back in the day. “They make the wilderness look like it’s a romantic place. Well, it’s romantic, as long as you have all your gear and you’re camping and enjoying it. In a survival situation, it’s a nightmare.”


    Stephen Code, who lives in Kitchener, said his brother was passionate about survival trips but as far as he knew, he also lacked any formal training.


    “I understand that Richard has done some self-teaching, training, through the video work this gentleman’s (Stroud) done,” Code said.


    He said he and his father would worry about Richard’s trips and often warned him of the risks.
    “My father had conversations with him in the past about the dangers of camping with little gear,” he said.


    Code’s landlady Barbara Ellis said her tenant frequently read books about wilderness survival and would regale her with tales of his adventures. She said Code could “whittle” and rip bark from trees, twisting the pieces into makeshift ropes.


    “He would tell me how he would cut down boughs to make a shelter,” she recalled. “He would fish for food and he said there were certain trees that he could eat the bark.”
    Ellis said she met her tenant through church and Code moved into her Scarborough home about two years ago. The 86-year-old described Code as pleasant and mild-mannered, who made a living by helping her do errands around the house.


    She said Code did three survivor trips last year but most were during the summer months. He only attempted one wintertime trip last November but fell sick and lasted just one day, she added.


    Ellis said she had a bad feeling last week as Code prepared for this latest trip.


    “I just said, ‘I don’t like this one,’ ” she said. “He just laughed a little bit… I sort of dread these trips but I know they’re so very important to him.”


    Code left home at around 4 a.m. and, as he often does, left a note with Ellis telling her when he would be back. He included a map with his GPS coordinates as well as a checklist of what materials he brought, which included a multi-tool, an axe, matches, a lighter, an emergency blanket, fishing tools, a compass, a survival book, maps and some cash. He did not use a cellphone.


    Ellis called police when Code failed to return by Monday morning and police began conducting aerial searches of the area where Code indicated he was going, near Burks Falls.
    Code was known to hitchhike to his camping destinations and according to his brother, police received a tip early Wednesday indicating that Richard had been picked up in Aurora and dropped off at a truck stop near Bradford.


    Early Wednesday afternoon, Code was still hopeful his brother might turn up safe, but a few hours later provincial police announced they had found his brother’s body, just between Horn and Bear Lakes.


    Toronto police say a post-mortem will take place, likely Friday.


    OPP said Code was found by helicopter in an area that was no longer accessible by foot, thanks to heavy snowfalls in the area and surrounding marshes.


    Police were tight-lipped about further details including what he was wearing, but Code was last seen wearing beige cargo pants, a dark jacket, hiking boots and a black “Yukon”-style hat.
    Det. Const. Jeff Emms said Code was no “rookie” when it came to outdoor adventuring and clearly prepared for his trip. But at the same time, such survivor excursions have officers like him “scratching our heads.”


    “I would never do it,” he said. “These TV shows that are on, right, Survivorman and all these kinds of shows, would put these kinds of thoughts in someone’s head to do it.”


    When reached in Madagascar where he is filming a new television series, Stroud said he always stressed proper training on his show, as well as in his book.


    “You need that time in the bush and there is no replacement,” Stroud said, speaking to the Star before Code’s body was located. “I wouldn’t attempt to solo until I’d done at least half a dozen or 10 courses . . . in the bush with people that knew what they were doing.”


    For Stroud, his show is a “documentary” program and not a “reality-based” show, which he says portray wilderness survival in a flashy manner that gets people “all riled up.”


    He defended Survivorman as being an educational show that conveyed just how miserable it truly is to subsist in the wilderness. He noted that he can’t control how viewers interpret his show, adding that people have credited his teachings in the past for saving their lives in survival situations.


    But for Ferri, he worries about the effects of such survival reality shows and has noticed a spike in interest towards wilderness survival. Students tend to also bring an inflated sense of confidence into his classrooms now, he said.


    “Don’t think that you can learn things like survival by simply watching a show,” he said. “I mean, how often have we said that?”


    For Stephen Code, he has never watched Survivorman but said he doesn’t oppose such reality programming, as long as the shows couch their entertainment value in safety information.
    But for Code, he also recognizes the potential dangers of such shows, perhaps now better than anyone.


    “I think as laypeople, we’re always concerned about risky endeavours getting publicized on TV sets and society picking up these things and trying to execute them in the real world,” he said. “It’s disconcerting.”
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    Quality Control Director Ken's Avatar
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    That's sad. It could have all been prevented if only he'd brought his camera crew with him.
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    Senior Member red lake's Avatar
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    Came here to post the same article. Sure would like to know the details of his demise.

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    I feel sorry for his family. But he was old enough to decide his own destiny. Just glad no rescuers were injured
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    Senior Member gryffynklm's Avatar
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    I hope that the details are reported on and some one stresses the dangers for doing this without training and prep.
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    I have not seen all his shows but I have always been rooting for him to catch a fish. Any body ever see Les Stroud catch one?

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    Senior Member red lake's Avatar
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    http://news.therecord.com/News/article/679540

    Better article here. States hypothermia was the cause of death and has some quotes from Les Stroud and Les's teacher Gino Ferri.

    Gino I have met and he is the real deal.

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    First, we don't know that the gentleman didn't log on here. He could well be one of those folks that said I'm going with a knife and a shirt.

    Second, this is why many of us are against telling folks to go ahead and do it. It's not just words on a forum. It's someone's life.
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    Quality Control Director Ken's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    First, we don't know that the gentleman didn't log on here. He could well be one of those folks that said I'm going with a knife and a shirt.

    Second, this is why many of us are against telling folks to go ahead and do it. It's not just words on a forum. It's someone's life.
    Damned good post, Rick!
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    where does the accountability fall? on himself? on Les? On the Landlady?

    It's sad and people really need to get this out of their heads.. come on.. right now they are saying he died of hypothermia? that's what happens if you refuse to take backup gear. preparation, and location...
    At least he was old enough to make his own decisions, but that sounds like hockey to me. hypothermia. I'd like more details too.
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    According to the article, It was NOT his first time going out in the bush like that,, Ya Know,, You cant blame the show,,, Some people just lack good old fashioned "Horse Sense" or Common sense,,

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    This is a perfect example of what we are concerned about when the numptys come calling. The wisdom from this forum only caries so much weight with newbies that don't know who its coming from. Unless they read the forum for a while they will never understand the authority of the experience of this collective community.

    Should we sticky this and add threads links to videos or articles that demonstrates going out to experience "survival" on purpose isn't a game. Maybe it would support the other "living Survival" stickies, you think they would be enough.

    Anyone want to help make this sticky idea sound better.
    Karl

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    First, we don't know that the gentleman didn't log on here. He could well be one of those folks that said I'm going with a knife and a shirt.

    Second, this is why many of us are against telling folks to go ahead and do it. It's not just words on a forum. It's someone's life.
    Especially Young people,, They are so impressionable.

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    You have to take responsibility for your own actions. Even if you don't know that what you are doing is dangerous you need to research it. It would be easy to blame Les or the landlady but the responsibility rests on his shoulders.
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    Quote Originally Posted by gryffynklm View Post
    This is a perfect example of what we are concerned about when the numptys come calling. The wisdom from this forum only caries so much weight with newbies that don't know who its coming from. Unless they read the forum for a while they will never understand the authority of the experience of this collective community.

    Should we sticky this and add threads links to videos or articles that demonstrates going out to experience "survival" on purpose isn't a game. Maybe it would support the other "living Survival" stickies, you think they would be enough.

    Anyone want to help make this sticky idea sound better.
    I think thats a great idea,,

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    We tell every numpty this every time. Then we get flamed. Then they vow to never come to this forum again. A numpty won't read a sticky - they want instant gratification, and they want it their way. Any advice to the contrary means we're just a bunch of old F.A.R.T.S. that don't understand.
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    I have to agree with Crash. I think it's instant gratification that's driving them. However, I've changed the title, copied the article and put it in Hunter's first post then stuck the thread. So, we shall see.
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    Looks Like he took enough to survive tho ? even with only a basic knowledge base,


    Snippet from article,

    Code left home at around 4 a.m. and left a note with Ellis telling her when he would be back. He included a map with his GPS co-ordinates as well as a checklist of what materials he brought, which included a multi-tool, an axe, matches, a lighter, an emergency blanket, fishing tools, a compass, a survival book, maps and some cash.

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    Well at least it SHOULD serve as a warning. I'm just sorry someone had to lose their life to make it such an important lesson for everyone.

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    He should have used the cash to buy a wool blanket...apparently.
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