Equipped To Survive Equipped To Survive® Presents
The Survival Forum
Where do you want to go on ETS?

Page 1 of 2 1 2 >
Topic Options
#240546 - 02/05/12 08:10 AM Mushroom pickers lost for six days
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3240
Loc: Alberta, Canada
If there ever was a reminder to carry some basic gear, this is it.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/worl...article2326916/

A family of three huddled on the edge of an old-growth Oregon forest for six days, lost and cold, unable to signal search helicopters flying low and slow overhead.

Without food, water or even warm clothing, Belinda and Daniel Conne, along with their 25-year-old son, Michael, survived by drinking water from streams and taking shelter in a hollowed-out tree.

The family told Mr. Bishop they could see helicopters just a few hundred feet above them while they were lost, but couldn't signal rescuers.

When the family was finally found Saturday, they were only 200 yards from the nearest group of searchers. “We were actually right near them all three days” of the search, Mr. Bishop said. In the area's canyons, “you think people can hear you, but they can't.”

Top
#240548 - 02/05/12 11:27 AM Re: Mushroom pickers lost for six days [Re: dougwalkabout]
LED Offline
Veteran

Registered: 09/01/05
Posts: 1474
Even a small pocket EDC, (lighter, 6ft cord, whistle, photonlight, etc) would have made a tremendous difference. Glad they made it out okay.

Top
#240549 - 02/05/12 11:33 AM Re: Mushroom pickers lost for six days [Re: dougwalkabout]
Phaedrus Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3164
Loc: Big Sky Country
Yikes! They really lucked out. I'm glad that despite their complete lack of preparation all were found alive and well.
_________________________
“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman

Top
#240552 - 02/05/12 01:18 PM Re: Mushroom pickers lost for six days [Re: Phaedrus]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
The ability to at least light a fire should be a high priority in anyone's EDC, especially when outdoors. This is a good lesson. If they ahd carried a whistle and a signal mirror we would not be reading about them. The weight involved is, maybe, eight ounce

I guess this is just another exampe of how hazardous mushrooms can be....
_________________________
Geezer in Chief

Top
#240554 - 02/05/12 01:48 PM Re: Mushroom pickers lost for six days [Re: dougwalkabout]
chaosmagnet Offline
Sheriff
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/03/09
Posts: 3842
Loc: USA
Whistle, mirror, fire, knife and cordage could all have made a huge difference to them.

Top
#240555 - 02/05/12 02:13 PM Re: Mushroom pickers lost for six days [Re: chaosmagnet]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
Wizard of Oz quotes
Quote:
Scarecrow: [singing] I could while away the hours/conferrin' with the flowers/consultin' with the rain/And my head I'd be scratchin'/ While my thoughts were busy hatchin'/If I only had a brain.
_________________________
Better is the Enemy of Good Enough.
Okay, what’s your point??

Top
#240572 - 02/06/12 01:05 AM Re: Mushroom pickers lost for six days [Re: dougwalkabout]
Dagny Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 11/25/08
Posts: 1918
Loc: Washington, DC

Yikes! What a nightmare. Jackets and two more dogs in the Jeep. Thank goodness the searchers were persistent.

I like to think that each news story like this inspires at least a few other peops to be more prepared in the future.

I'm far more prepared just walking out my front door, thanks to the car key chain which includes a firesteel, striker and e-PICO light. And my house key lanyard includes a whistle and e-PICO. Also have Doug's MK-5 knife in the inside of three winter jackets.

Thanks for posting the article.

Top
#240578 - 02/06/12 02:32 AM Re: Mushroom pickers lost for six days [Re: dougwalkabout]
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3240
Loc: Alberta, Canada
I've had a few modest forays into the PNW landscape, and the density of vegetation makes it terribly easy to get turned around and/or disappear forever. Even in fairly well populated territory (don't ask).

According to the article, they're not the first (by far) to get into trouble in this area.

Add a dense overhead canopy, and you have a real problem. Even if you could make fire, how much smoke would it take to make yourself seen?

I can only imagine the sinking feeling (and increasing urgency) of the searchers when they saw the trail of debris, which were all useful items. This to my mind would signal decreasing capacity and condition of the lost party.

BTW, aren't there some more current updates? The link I posted is an AP story from more than 24 hrs. ago.

Top
#240588 - 02/06/12 03:45 AM Re: Mushroom pickers lost for six days [Re: dougwalkabout]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
The neat thing about a fire is that it isn't just visual. On more than one occasion we have sniffed our way to a fire and successfully concluded a SAR, following the smoke long before we got a visual.

Another factor is the psychological boost a fire imparts, in addition to providing physical warmth, ability to purify water, cook, etc.
_________________________
Geezer in Chief

Top
#240596 - 02/06/12 05:36 AM Re: Mushroom pickers lost for six days [Re: dougwalkabout]
Richlacal Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 02/11/10
Posts: 778
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
What irks me the most is,these people came from Oklahoma & drive a Jeep.Preparedness is Elementary in Oklahoma is it not?& Being a Jeep owner is Elementary to knowing your vehicle can take you wayyy out into the boonies,most of the time,So one carries things at All times to get you out of the boonies,Yet these Morel picking morons had the brains to know which mushrooms to pick,of which could be deadly in itself if wrong,but couldn't even think about where they were!I don't know if they could have the capacity to know,that this is a Good lesson learned!

Top
Page 1 of 2 1 2 >



Moderator:  Alan_Romania, Blast, cliff, Hikin_Jim 
November
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Who's Online
0 registered (), 743 Guests and 6 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Aaron_Guinn, israfaceVity, Explorer9, GallenR, Jeebo
5370 Registered Users
Newest Posts
Leather Work Gloves
by KenK
11/24/24 06:43 PM
Satellite texting via iPhone, 911 via Pixel
by Ren
11/05/24 03:30 PM
Emergency Toilets for Obese People
by adam2
11/04/24 06:59 PM
For your Halloween enjoyment
by brandtb
10/31/24 01:29 PM
Chronic Wasting Disease, How are people dealing?
by clearwater
10/30/24 05:41 PM
Things I Have Learned About Generators
by roberttheiii
10/29/24 07:32 PM
Newest Images
Tiny knife / wrench
Handmade knives
2"x2" Glass Signal Mirror, Retroreflective Mesh
Trade School Tool Kit
My Pocket Kit
Glossary
Test

WARNING & DISCLAIMER: SELECT AND USE OUTDOORS AND SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES AND TECHNIQUES AT YOUR OWN RISK. Information posted on this forum is not reviewed for accuracy and may not be reliable, use at your own risk. Please review the full WARNING & DISCLAIMER about information on this site.