Thinking First

Well here we go again, the front page headline of the Everett Herald, on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 reads “Boy Saved at Wallace Falls”. the reporter calls the thirteen year old Burien boy a lucky kid, a county sheriff’s Sgt. calls the boy a very lucky young man, while saying he was in a very dangerous spot. The chief helicopter pilot for Snohomish County Search and Rescue twice used the word miracle when he talked about the rescue. He referred to  the water as white water and moving fast. The Herald writer states that the rescuers had to contend with crossing the frothy river fed by frigid snow melt. I wasn’t there, but I would agree with the chief helicopter pilot. I would say that the boy’s Guardian Angels were doing their jobs and we all experienced a Miracle. Let’s give credit where credit is due.

First the boy’s Guardian Angels guided him to a rock ledge after he was swept over a ten foot waterfall. Then, according to the newspaper more than fifty volunteers worked through the night to help save the boy’s life.

I just have two questions. Given the description of the water conditions, why did the boy choose to go wading upstream of three waterfalls, the largest having a 270 foot plunge? And why did the boy’s dad let him do it?   The rescue also involved the seven member swift water rescue team. One of the team members said, from his standpoint, such a technical rescue requires both forethought and flexibility. All the while , he was asking himself, “If I do something, can I get back?”  It’s too bad the boy didn’t ask himself that question before he chose to go wading. Thank God the outcome ended as it did. Thanks to all those fifty volunteers who put their life on the line, as the chief helicopter pilot said, “This was definitely a high risk mission.”

To all of you that will head out into the great outdoors for whatever reason, please use some forethought and ask yourself, “IF I DO SOMETHING, CAN I GET BACK?” Let’s all use some common sense. Parents, if your children choose not to, then you need to step in and use it for them. You may spoil their fun, but they will be alive to talk about it. There is no fun in a funeral.

LAST WEEK’S QUIZ ANSWER

A lot factors into the decision that you make in this situation. You must consider the weather, the season, the climate, has anyone been injured, what gear you have with you, are you absolutely sure you can safely find your way out before dark, etc. Here is what I teach my students. 1. Find or build a shelter 2. Build a fire 3. Find water 4. Food is last. Numbers 1 & 2 are interchangeable depending on conditions. If someone is injured that should be the first priority. As far as finding your way out, wait until morning, do not run around in the mountains or woods in the dark, you could make your situation worse.

Feel free to comment or ask questions.

We just had an 8.6 earthquake which caused the Washington and Oregon coastlines to drop two feet which also caused a tsunami. What will you do now?

 

W HAT WOULD YOU DO ?

  Well here we are at the weekend before the long Memorial Day weekend, and in my section of the country the mayhem has already begun. We have a popular hiking spot near here called Mt. Pilchuck. About a month ago a group of three men hiked up the mountain on a Saturday to camp out overnight. When they hiked down on Sunday, they got lost, wet and cold. Their solution to their predicament was to call 911. A county Search and Rescue helicopter was used to take the men off the mountain one at a time. What would these men have done if they had no cell phone reception? It appears that these three men did not have the skills needed to deal with the situation that they put themselves into.This is the very reason that I offer and teach classes. In this situation, thankfully no one was injured, they were just wet, cold and lost; and totally lacking in skills, knowledge or preparation. They didn’t know it but their survival situation began before they ever left home. What would you have done in the same situation?

Here is a quiz for you. If you are lost in the mountains and you are cold and wet and it’s going to be dark in two hours, what should you do first? Find food? Build a shelter? Find water? Build a fire? Keep searching for a way home?  The answer will be here next week!

Firebuilding

 

Getting Started

Twenty-seven years ago, I saw many people headed off to some wilderness area completely lacking in the skills needed to safely go into those areas and then safely return home. Some of them suffered injuries, some died, and some were never seen again. Most of them went with the same goal in mind, they were going to have fun. The majority of them did just that, but some of them only had a tragedy. Today, twenty-seven years later the fun is still ending as a  tragedy, for some.  I began  to learn survival skills and to improve the few skills that I already had. I set a personal goal to learn all I could about survival and nature, then to share that knowledge with other people. I learned that what you don’t know can kill you, but with some effort, you can learn the skills and gain the knowledge to go into the wilderness and enjoy nature safely, then return home to share your adventure.

This is why I teach the classes that I offer. This is why I have expanded to a  blog. I teach classes on nature, wilderness and urban survival and disaster preparedness. My classes will take you through different skill levels. I will touch on some things in this blog, but by its very nature, it will not be as thorough. My goal is to share my knowledge and skills by teaching. Maybe what you learn will someday save someone’s life and prevent a tragedy. If you have a desire to learn these skills, contact me for further information.