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Thread: Park Tales

  1. #1

    Default Park Tales

    Monday morning we had just open up the store when a young lady came in saying,"I need help, I'm lost." I asked her where she was trying to get to. She said," I can't find my car."She said," she had parked inside the gate last night and gone for a hike and got lost." I knew there were no unattended cars left in the park overnight. Come to find out she had parked at a hikers parking area about 4 miles from the park an hour before dark, got turned around and got lost.

    She had walked all night, 14 hours, with temps down to 42 degrees with nothing but tennis shoes, short shorts, a tee shirt and light sweater. The only "gear "she brought with her was one bottle of water. She had a cell phone but there is no signal in this area. She was dehydrated and her legs were all cut up from walking in the dark.

    She pretty much broke every rule of hiking. No gear, didn't know where she was or where she was going. Had notified no one where she was going or returning.
    After we got her hydrated and warmed up we figured where her car was. I drove her to her car and asked her if she had thought about stopping and building a fire, even though I doubt she had the ability, and she said," She was scared to stop so she just walked all night.''

    She got lucky that there was no rain that night, if she had gotten wet she could of gone hypothermic. The Ranger said,"this time of year is most dangerous because its warm during the day and people get caught out at night with falling temps. and are not prepared.
    Last edited by chiggersngrits; 04-27-2023 at 08:01 AM.
    A man full of grits is a man full of peace.


  2. #2
    Senior Member Deimos's Avatar
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    I keep a multi-tool (a local copy of the classic swiss army knife) and a cheap bic ligther with me at all times. This combo fits at my pocket and it's very useful for quick repairs, using a propane stove and a lot more. Having it at hand saves me a lot of time.
    If that lady was able to stop and build a fire, her nigth would have been a lot better.
    I own some stuff, and I know some things. But that's all.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Winter's Avatar
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    She's lucky to be alive. Did you attempt provide some wilderness wisdom to her?
    I had a compass, but without a map, it's just a cool toy to show you where oceans and ice are.

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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Seems that another almost fell prey to Darwin. Hopefully she learns from her experience, but..............
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  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Winter View Post
    She's lucky to be alive. Did you attempt provide some wilderness wisdom to her?
    She was physically and mentally exhausted at the time. Other than asking if she considered building a fire I didn't press the issue at that time.

    After thinking about the situation for a couple of days there had to be more going on than was told. Seems odd that a very pretty 20 y.o., at the most, lady would drive 30 miles to a place she wasn't familiar with, tell no one where she was going, be missing all night not even calling anyone and have no one looking for her. Something just doesn't add up.
    A man full of grits is a man full of peace.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Winter's Avatar
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    Yeah, something ain't exactly right. But, almost every time I think a person couldn't be that stupid, I'm proven wrong.
    I had a compass, but without a map, it's just a cool toy to show you where oceans and ice are.

  7. #7
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    I'm beginning to think we need to remove all the warning labels from everything. If you can't figure out that using your grill inside your garage might not be in your best interest, so be it. It's time to rebuild the gene pool. Common sense is being bred out of us. Going on hike with nothing but bare legs? Darwin would be so proud. I'm not a bad guy but golly, this kind of thing is becoming more and more common.
    Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.

  8. #8

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    I think it was a test of who cares. Thankfully God did in this instance.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Michael aka Mac's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by chiggersngrits View Post
    She was physically and mentally exhausted at the time. Other than asking if she considered building a fire I didn't press the issue at that time.

    After thinking about the situation for a couple of days there had to be more going on than was told. Seems odd that a very pretty 20 y.o., at the most, lady would drive 30 miles to a place she wasn't familiar with, tell no one where she was going, be missing all night not even calling anyone and have no one looking for her. Something just doesn't add up.
    Sorry to disagree, there is no evidence illustrated that indicates that there is anything else going on then ignorance, mishap, being unprepared, then getting lost.

    I can see why you are thinking to yourself , something is just not adding up here, and having someone immediately agreeing with you is also common.

    I remember in the military being in a huge room with a stage while the drill Seargent was holding a dummy grenade in his hands ( I should point out that I was probably the only one there that realized it was a dummy grenade, as I knew that the military wouldn't allow a live grenade to be used in demonstration indoors) and asked "Who here has handled one of these before" and slowly one by one people started raising their hands.

    I also have exceptional hearing, like WOW O.O exceptional, and heard one of the personal say to another "it always 'boggles' me why they raise their hands when they actually have never held a grenade before." with the other guy saying "Yea it is like that every time we do this" Monkey see monkey do mentality. It is like yawning which causes a chain reaction in a room.

    I digress, from what I remember at that age, I thought there was nothing that I could not do, but unlike her I had experience and would have never done anything that she had done. I 1st would have both a headlamp & flashlight and extra batteries, my EDC bag: compressed camp towel puck, SAK Swiss Champ, SCHRADE SCFH57, 2 Mylar solar blankets, Matchless Lighter[also known as the forever match), paracord, hammock, rain poncho, Magnesium Fire Starter, Fero Rod, & a Sharpie.

    I would have already marked sections of the trail but when it got dark, & I got lost and I couldn't find the trail, being a stubborn fellow, I would mark my current location and go out a click then come back to where I last marked my location and do this in each direction, NSEW, & if I couldn't find the trail I would know it was time to hunker down and make camp, and go back to one of the areas i just scouted for the trail to find a place to start a fire, setup a shelter with the paracord and mylar blankets over my hammock. The next day would begin my very long journey, praying that I do not end up on the opposite side of the mountain, just cause I am frugal and dread that expensive cab ride.

    That is me, this is not that girl. With a Tom Boy attitude, that "I can do anything I will Live forever" mentality, having no experience, but yet amped & hyped up about her adventure on the trail in the wilderness, thinking all i have to do is follow a trail.

    Then the imaginable happens to her, she is lost. No one ever taught her what to do in that type of situation or if they did, her panicking and freaking out override that teaching, so she just kept walking.

    Look, I can see why you think something was up, how could anyone be that naive, there must be another explanation, but you cannot try to understand stupidity, and a lack of common sense. Sometimes that baby that touches that Hot stove, is going to keep on touching it and never learn.

    I will be honest though, although I personally think she made a bad call to keep on walking, where as she was better off walking in place and doing occasional jumping jacks to warm up, her walking, the Panic attack & adrenalin had dramatically increased her body's core temperature, enough not to end up with hypothermia.

    In the end, damn she got lucky, but I am glad to hear she is safe, and it is also heart warming to hear people like the OP that stopped their day to help another human being. Way to go OP>

  10. #10
    Senior Member Phaedrus's Avatar
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    She's lucky to have emerged mostly unscathed!
    "When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist." Archbishop Helder Cāmara

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  11. #11

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    Mac, I think everyone views situations with bias. Your knowledge and life experiences shape the way you view the world. Maybe she was just that unaware of the things that could happen. I don't consider myself a survival or outdoor expert. But I am aware and try to prepare accordingly.
    A man full of grits is a man full of peace.

  12. #12

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    Trail rescues. We have had 2 incidents in the last month where people were injured and had to be carried off the trail. The first one happened after I had left for the day. A 50 something year old female took a header on her mountain bike and fractured her wrist. She was only about 100 yards from the road but was unable to make it out. They had to get a side by side down the bike trail to load her up and drive her to the road to be picked up by the ambulance. I asked the Ranger the next day why she couldn't walk out as she had no leg injuries. He said," Some people who have never have a severe injury just completely shut down when they are hurt.'' Possibly shock. After they spent an hour getting the side by down to her and back up to the road she refused the ambulance and was taken to the E.R. by her husband.

    The second one happened last Sunday. A 70 year old female was walking her 2 afghan hounds through the Japanese Garden trail. While going down a set of steps her dogs spotted a squirrel and bolted. She got pulled off the steps and slammed to the gravel path below. She was unable to put her arms out to break her fall and took full impact to her right side.

    Other hikers came in the office, reported her fall and said, she is saying she broke her hip. I radioed the Ranger and went down to check on her. When I got to her she was laid out in the middle of the trail on her phone calling a friend to come get her dogs.

    She couldn't move her right leg and had abrasions to her face and right arm from the impact. I radioed the Ranger, told him she was indeed severely injured and he called emergency services. Took about 20 mins. for the first rescue team to arrive. About 10 minutes later the ambulance crew showed up put her on a board and were able to carry her out.

    She was one tough old bird, more concerned about her dogs than herself. I think if she was physically able she would have walked out on her on.

    She did have a fractured hip and had surgery Monday A.M.. We held her dogs at the office till her friend arrived.
    Last edited by chiggersngrits; 05-17-2023 at 11:20 AM.
    A man full of grits is a man full of peace.

  13. #13

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    Injuries and Shock: People's reactions to injuries can vary greatly, and some individuals might experience shock or a mental shutdown when faced with severe injuries. Even if they have the physical ability to walk out, shock can affect their decision-making and mobility.
    Quick Communication: In both cases, quick communication with park rangers and emergency services was crucial. Having a reliable means of communication and knowing the proper channels to contact help can significantly impact the response time.
    Preparedness: It's essential for hikers and bikers to be adequately prepared for their activities. Carrying a first aid kit, knowing basic first aid, and being aware of the nearest exit points or access roads can be helpful in case of emergencies.
    Assisting Injured Individuals: If you come across someone who's been injured on the trail, it's essential to assess the situation carefully before attempting to help. Moving an injured person improperly can worsen their injuries. Always seek help from park rangers or emergency services for professional assistance.
    Animal Safety: In the second incident, it's evident that the dogs' safety was also a concern. If you encounter injured hikers with pets, ensuring the pets' well-being while providing assistance to the injured individual can be critical.
    Post-Incident Care: Providing support and assistance to injured individuals after the rescue is also essential. In the case of the 70-year-old woman, her friend arrived to take care of her dogs, which likely brought her some comfort during her recovery.
    Learn from Incidents: Parks and trail management authorities can analyze these incidents and take steps to improve safety measures. This might include improving trail signage, providing more accessible emergency access points, or implementing educational programs about trail safety.

  14. #14

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    Being prepared with proper communication devices and knowing how to reach out for help can significantly impact response times during emergencies. Having a first aid kit and basic first aid knowledge can also prove invaluable in providing initial care to injured individuals before professional help arrives. When coming across injured individuals on the trail, it's essential to approach the situation with caution and seek professional assistance when needed. Moving an injured person incorrectly can lead to further harm, so it's best to leave the physical handling to trained professionals. There has also recently been an increase in people wanting to buy a A SPAM SAMMICH I can't say that's a good thing, but I guess sometimes that's all that helps. The safety of pets and animals accompanying injured hikers is another important consideration. Ensuring their well-being while providing assistance to the injured individual can help alleviate further stress during such incidents.

  15. #15

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    A spam sammich to me is like spinach to Popeye.
    A man full of grits is a man full of peace.

  16. #16
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Yeah, Another caught in the act. I chortle as they must ponder how their felonious spam gets all misconstrued right before their very eyes...or eye as the case might be.
    Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.

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