If there is a follow up article, please post it. Encourage Hewitt to chronicle the hunt. See if a good reporter could prompt him to second guess his mistakes.

I am a firm believer that there are two variables that often comes up in back country tragedies.

1. GRAVITY – Gravity is the number one threat in the backcountry. In this particular case, I get off the horse on steep or slippery grades. Feed the reins thru a 4’ piece of 1” heavy wall pvc pipe to make sure you have some warning if the horse tries to run you over.
2. ELIMINATE SEARCH – Eliminate search out of the “Search & Rescue” equation. A PLB would have had Hewett back to town the same day.

* My dad was a DVM for 33 years. His favorite saying was – “Everyone should have a horse. It is a great way store meat without refrigeration. Just don’t ever get on one.”