One more survival scenario

[tennecedar]

A new survival situation to consider.

You finally get a few days to spend in the bush. The weather is nice for spring. High temps in the low 60's, overnight lows above freezing. You've decided to do a test run on the gear in your bob. You know an area along a river that would be perfect.
You get to your destination after trekking five miles overland and begin building your shelter. It's late in the day, a couple of hours until dark. That's when you hear someone calling out to you. A man and his two children
approach you saying they were on a canoe trip and tipped over. Their aluminum canoe and gear sank. They have been walking the bank down stream
since the day before hoping to find someone. They spent the night huddled under a tree with no fire. They're a bit cold but dry now. The kids are hungry, tired, and scared.
They have only the clothes on their back. The shelter is only started and no fire yet. You have a decision to make. What do you do?

[Alpine_Sapper]

Feed the kids, let them warm themselves by the fire, and then lead Mr. Brainless out of the woods, with him in front of me the whole time. Either he's lying, or such a numpty that he didn't think about ensuring his gear bags were water proof and floatable. Either way, I don't want him behind me, but I'm not gonna let the kids suffer any more than he has already done for them. It's only five miles overland. They should be able to handle that easily with a short rest. And since you didn't specify, call someone for him on my backup prepaid anonymous cell so he can get picked up.

[Sourdough]

Leave most of my stuff, and lead them out the way I came in. I can return tomorrow.

[Rick]

Mr. Brainless

(chuckle). You, sir, are a treasure. He did have a floating, waterproof bag. It got snagged on a limb, ripped and went strait to the bottom. Oh, that's not right, one of the kids was getting something out of the floating, waterproof bag, had it open and caused the canoe to tip all the while dad was telling him to sit down. Straight to the bottom. Lot's of scenarios here.

Since there is only a few hours of daylight left I'll build a fire both for the warmth and the psychological factor. I don't think we'll make five miles overland with two kids by nightfall. So I'll stick it out. Unless, of course, I know the trail is rather easy for the kids. Then I might decide to lead them back the way I came in.

[doren]

I would explain to them the time and distance before dark. Offer them the choice of staying the night with food, shelter, and fire, Hike out tomorrow. Or I can help them walk back to civilization, more than half of it in the dark. Return after dropping them off. Sleep in my car for the night, hike back to my camp in the morning.

[Alpine_Sapper]

(chuckle). You, sir, are a treasure. He did have a floating, waterproof bag. It got snagged on a limb, ripped and went strait to the bottom. Oh, that's not right, one of the kids was getting something out of the floating, waterproof bag, had it open and caused the canoe to tip all the while dad was telling him to sit down. Straight to the bottom. Lot's of scenarios here.

Since there is only a few hours of daylight left I'll build a fire both for the warmth and the psychological factor. I don't think we'll make five miles overland with two kids by nightfall. So I'll stick it out. Unless, of course, I know the trail is rather easy for the kids. Then I might decide to lead them back the way I came in.

lol. Ok, I see your point. That still doesn't explain why he had all the gear for three people in one bag... Some of this stuff is common sense, ya know?

As for walking 5 miles overland with two kids, we were never given the age of the children, so yeah, I guess it depends. If the kids are old enough to make the journey safely and the terrain isn't to bad, I say get them to their own bed that night. Otherwise, sure, build a fire and wait till morning. Keep one eye on the trio and a finger on the trigger.

[Rick]

Okay. They check dad's bag first then each got into their own. How's that? You know how those kids are.

I'm hungry.
Are we there yet?
I gotta go.
Billy is lookin' at me.
Dad, there's a great big worm crawlin' next to your foot.

Then the canoe tipped over.

[MatthewnOK]

They're government spies looking for survivalists. Shoot them all and push them into the river... It depends on the trail whether'd I hike out during the night. Probably build a fire let myself and the children stay in the shelter and let the goober stay out in the cold.

[Alpine_Sapper]

Okay. They check dad's bag first then each got into their own. How's that? You know how those kids are.

I'm hungry.
Are we there yet?
I gotta go.
Billy is lookin' at me.
Dad, there's a great big worm crawlin' next to your foot.

Then the canoe tipped over.

lol. Ok, ok, I concede. Dad's not a complete numpty.

[Sourdough]

At 3 miles per hour, it should be hump'able. We could carry the kids the last mile if necessary. After all the bug bites, and sleeping under a tree, those kids will do fine for five miles, If there is a burger and fries at the end. Plus there must be a light in the Bug'out bag, and night hiking is not that big of a deal.

[Rick]

Point well taken. I didn't think about carrying them (if they're small enough) or the light. Probably should have.

[Alpine_Sapper]

Plus there must be a light in the Bug'out bag

lol. If not, we're bigger numpty's than the dad.

[Nativedude]

I had a scenario like this 7 years ago. 3 college kids. A guy with his girlfriend and her sister were in out for a long weekend in the southern Wind River range. All 3 had on tank tops, shorts and Teva sandals. . .that's it! They had tied their backpacks over the side of a cliff to keep them away from the animals. Well, sometime during the night something chewed through the rope and down (500') went their packs, which were all tied together on the same rope. . .D'oh

I came across them the morning of their third day. Cold, dehydrated and starving. In their panic of trying to figure out what to do, they got off course and were lost. They had a topo trail map (which was in the guy's pack). Their water containers, food, warmer clothing, fire starter, was all in their packs.

The shorts they wore all had cargo pockets, but no cargo in them. When I asked them why they didn't have, at least, some matches or a lighter in their pockets? Their answer was, "it makes our shorts too heavy!". . . .D'oh

Long story short. . .I had them gather tinder and firewood and taught them how to build a fire with a fire plough. I gave them some of my jerky and let them use my billy can to boil some water.

They learned how to build a lean-to shelter for the night. The next day I lead them back to their Jeep.

So, while you and I wouldn't be so careless to do something like this or the scenario written in this post, there are those whom do careless things just like this.

If their in the woods and I happen upon them, I will help. If they're lost in the woods and were to kill you (their only salvation) they will die too! That would be counter-productive and surely futile!

[tennecedar]

This scenario is a variation of a "lost persons" rescue situation in my home town. Two other team members and myself were the first to make contact. After members post their answer to "What would you do?", I'll post how the real rescue concluded. Maybe get some feedback on what we could have done better.

[MatthewnOK]

This scenario is a variation of a "lost persons" rescue situation in my home town. Two other team members and myself were the first to make contact. After members post their answer to "What would you do?", I'll post how the real rescue concluded. Maybe get some feedback on what we could have done better.

Was I right? Were they spies? Tell us! Oh the suspense is killing me

[Alpine_Sapper]

This scenario is a variation of a "lost persons" rescue situation in my home town. Two other team members and myself were the first to make contact. After members post their answer to "What would you do?", I'll post how the real rescue concluded. Maybe get some feedback on what we could have done better.

So are you a SAR team member, or ?

[tennecedar]

Off topic but yeah.

Former SAR for a little over 10 years. All volunteer.
Training includes:
EMT
Firefighter 1
Firefighter 2
Firefighter 3
Hazardous materials first responder
Vehicle extrication
Bus extrication
Trench Rescue
Elevator rescue
High angle rescue
Compass and orienteering
Swiftwater rescue 1 beginner
Swiftwater rescue 2 advanced
swiftwater rescue instructor
Cave rescue
Scuba open water diver- PADI
Emergency LZ setup
Land Based Search Operations
Visual tracking
and a few other certificates I can't remember.

[Rick]

Dang. That's an impressive list. You should be ready for anything with nothing.

And see, the story Native Dude posted, they should have had a knife in the wilderness...... Oh, I can't do it.....I know, I'm bad.

[crashdive123]

Since you said it was my BOB, I know the contents. With my BOB I know I can make the four of us comfortable for the night in the conditions that you described. The actions I take will really depend on the physical and emotional condition fo the kids and their dad. After getting some food and water in everybody there is probably an hour left until sunset. In my bag I have two small 3 watt led lights, ten chem lights and one head lamps. Hiking the five miles out will not be an issue. I do have a cell phone (don't know if we have signal, but if we do) so the dad can call whomever he needs to in order to let them know that everybody is ok. After the decision is reached, we will have a relaxing evening, or a brief hike and drive to civilization. It really depends on them.

[wareagle69]

need to evalate the condition of the kids, if i am headed into the bush for a few days then i will have enough food to feed the kids for the night give them some rest and energy. am i still in cell phone reception? if so then call it in and settle in for the night, or rescue but i'll let the powers that be decide that, if they can rest and eat and walk out then i would suggest doing that in the morning