"During that time, Mosch lost most of his clothes except his underwear, plus his shotgun, cell phone and other belongings in the Big Cypress National Preserve."

"The Dumbest Mistake of His Life"

This story prompts me to ask the question, what if you lose your PSK in an emergency?

I guess the hardest survival tool to lose is your mind.

The link is no longer good.

Big Cypress is a place to be taken seriously. Used to hunt dove there years ago before GPS and got turned around more than once.

corrected link

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200991122035

Thanks!

So instead of staying at the first spot, which was obviously dry enough to start a fire and closer to the swamps edge - said hero takes off to self rescue, gets lost deeper into the swamp and loses most of his clothes and all his resources. My, what a trained woodsman we have there. Frankly, I would be embarrassed to use my real name in any interviews.

I mean, we tell kids to hug trees when lost. Should we dumb down the lessons for some adults?

1. Cell phone in a tupperware or baggie
2. spread your kit out, over several areas.
3. Stay put.
4. Alligators? Don't swim there
5. Stop moving about
6. Have a map, Trust you compass.
7. Sit it out and wait
8. PLB, PLB, PLB

Here's another perspective on the story - NPS Morning Report


Today's Report | Recent Editions
Monday, November 23, 2009


INCIDENTS

Big Cypress National Preserve (FL)
Lost Hunter Found After Five-Day Search

On the afternoon of November 16th, Jamie Mosch, a hunter with no local experience, embarked on a hunt from a privately-owned inholding. When he failed to return by dark, his friends began looking for him. After about an hour, they heard a shot that they presumed Mosch had fired and fired shots in reply. Two more shots were subsequently heard, apparently further away each time. Mosch’s companions then placed a 911 call that was forwarded to the park. A search was begun, managed under ICS, and other agencies were brought in. Over the next few days, an intensive ground and air search took place that involved about 60 people. Ground searchers utilized grid searches, tactical tracking, blood hounds, cadaver dogs, and air scent dogs. Air searches were conducted and included FLIR/night vision during night operations (FLIR – forward-looking infrared – proved ineffective in this area due to the thick vegetative cover and ground water conditions). Rangers were assigned to teams as available to provide local knowledge. On the morning of November 20th, a bloodhound team found Mosch in very thick, swampy underbrush, making it necessary for them to crawl the last part of their approach to his location. He was alive and vocal and reported a hurt knee and ankle. Mosch was clad only in a tank top and long johns, having lost his shotgun and camouflage hunting clothes. He was surprised to learn it was Friday, and said he thought it was only Tuesday. He survived in part by drinking swamp water and reported catching a catfish by hand and eating it. Mosch was walked/carried overland through the swamp to a clearing where he was airlifted by a Collier County Sheriff’s Office helicopter to the incident command post. He was then airlifted by the Collier County EMS helicopter to Physicians Regional Medical Center in Naples, Florida, where he remains in stable condition, reunited with his family. [Submitted by Ed Clark, Chief Ranger]

Gunshots don't always work....

Glad he survived.


Having never been I can't comment on what you are "supposed" to do in everglades, or what are even the 'safer' areas to try to get to, etc, etc.

I made a post a few weeks ago about how I thought most people that grew up in hilly country should have an awareness of the terrain so they're less likely to get lost. Not everyone agreed with it...but there's a flip side to it that I'm sure of. *I* grew up in hilly country, and when I'm in flat land like Florida, I'm constantly thinking about where I am and where I'm going. Flat land is spooky to me, it's like being in the desert.

So I don't understand how somebody could come from the area I'm in, and go to someplace flat, and not realize they're out of their element, and work to stay oriented?

As to the compass that was broken, doesn't it seem likely that it was always broken?

I'm not trying to be critical, just trying to understand what the real causes are.

As to the compass being 'broken". Was it truly broken - and if it was broken why didn't our hero notice that before he wandered off? -- or was it broken only in the fact that it said to go one way but our intrepid hero "knew deep in his bones" that he should go in another direction. I am betting on the latter. Hero disregarded his compass as it conflicted with what he thought was correct. Hero needs to learn to trust his equipment, amongst actually learning how to take care of himself in the woods.