#269565 - 04/29/14 03:33 PM
Re: Father, 2 young kids missing in SC national park
[Re: Glock-A-Roo]
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Veteran
Registered: 08/31/11
Posts: 1233
Loc: Alaska
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Missing father, kids found safe in Congaree National Park Tuesday So much for the "fishy" theories! Rescuers found a missing father and his two children in the Congaree National Park early Tuesday morning.
The park held a briefing at 9 a.m.
National Park Service Ranger Jared Gurtler was the first officer to make contact with Kimbler and his two children.
Gurtler was out in the park around 4:30 a.m. on foot with just a flashlight. Since he is based at Congaree, he is familiar with all the trails, even at night.
"The best opportunity to hear human voices in the wilderness is at night," Gurtler said. "At night, no birds are singing and the human voices can be heard at that time."
_________________________
"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more."
-Dorothy, in The Wizard of Oz
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#269593 - 04/30/14 09:17 AM
Re: Father, 2 young kids missing in SC national park
[Re: Glock-A-Roo]
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3164
Loc: Big Sky Country
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A great ending! Glad to see where are okay.
_________________________
“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman
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#269596 - 04/30/14 03:45 PM
Re: Father, 2 young kids missing in SC national park
[Re: Phaedrus]
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Veteran
Registered: 08/31/11
Posts: 1233
Loc: Alaska
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A few more details about the search and the lost father and kids are in this article: Happy end to massive search of Congaree National Park . Gurtler, who has worked at the 27,000-acre Congaree National Park since 2009 and knows the terrain, advanced slowly on foot, his flashlight a dab of brightness in an ocean of black.
-------------snip-----------
The area had been searched before but, officials said, Gurtler just had a sense he should go back. “I gave a holler out every two, three minutes. I would walk 100 yards, give a holler, walk 100 yards, give another holler,” Gurtler said. Around 5:30 a.m., he heard a distant answering cry.
-----------snip---------
Beginning Saturday night, the search-and-rescue operation by Tuesday had involved more than 80 people from 10 local, state and national agencies. It melded boots-on-the-ground woods savvy from Gurtler and others as well as a sophisticated military-like operation that coordinated land, river and aircraft search efforts. A team of rangers who came in from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park organized state and local rescuers ....
----------snip-------
Rangers closed the park to the public Monday, and clearing the trails helped in the search because it quietened things down.
Making the search more difficult was the fact that Kimbler and the children were wandering around instead of staying in one place. That meant searchers could cover one area, only to have the Kimblers wander into that area. A good search management will try to combine local knowledge of the terrain, profiles of the subject, good organization and search technique, and as many resources as can be had. According to the article, when located, the father and kids were about 2½ miles from a visitors center. The terrain was very thick, with brush and lots of down trees, and a maze of small trails. Finding someone who is moving can be really difficult. As is typical in these cases, the search subjects hadn't gone all that far. The article also says that Gurtler has participated in 11 previous searches this year. As noted up thread, the vast majority of searches are short affairs that are wrapped up in a few hours. Someone is reported missing, a couple of hasty teams walk the obvious routes, and quickly find the person. No big deal, and they rarely make the news. A few, like this one, get big and complex.
_________________________
"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more."
-Dorothy, in The Wizard of Oz
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#269601 - 04/30/14 11:39 PM
Re: Father, 2 young kids missing in SC national park
[Re: AKSAR]
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Geezer in Chief
Geezer
Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
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Sometimes it works the other way around...War Story Alert!
We responded one nice sunny day to a request for a search for a missing person. Before leaving base camp, the deputy in charge gathered us together (about 15-20 warm and willing bodies) and apologized in advance. This was just a search for show...A Border Patrol tracker has found the prints of the subject and followed him to the roadside, where he had gotten into a vehicle and left the area. The real effort was concentrating in downtown Tucson.
We were called out simply to fly the flag and make the overall operation look good. We were assured there was no chance of the victim being in the search area.
We all took this in, agreeing with the logic. It was a beautiful Arizona spring day (unlike what passes for spring in other parts of the country, like Alaska), so why not? We formed our teams, developed assignments, and set forth.
Twenty minutes later, we found our subject, about 300 yards distant from the spot where he allegedly hopped into a car....
It is not unknown that sometimes missions will be performed that are more for PR than any realistic expectation of finding the subject, a sure sign that the operation is nearing desperation....
Edited by hikermor (04/30/14 11:42 PM)
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Geezer in Chief
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#269605 - 05/01/14 02:42 PM
Re: Father, 2 young kids missing in SC national park
[Re: bacpacjac]
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Geezer
Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
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Map & Compass is always good but you need to continually update so you stay found. The vast majority will rely on signs, will get lost and then when they pull out the map & compass (if they have them), won't be able to locate themselves on the map. They'll be able to find North and that may help, but not always. At least they can stay lost in one direction.
A cheap GPS OTOH, can tell them exactly where the parking lot is located, IF they remembered to mark the car; a mapping GPS might actually show the parking lot. OTOOH, the folks who marked their car will probably forget to turn the GPS off, so when they really need it the batteries are already dead.
Face it, most folks with a decent plan either don't get lost or self-rescue. Most folks don't have a plan, or a map, or a compass, or spare batteries...
Sorry, taking small kids in the backcountry without a plan borders on child endangerment; I have no sympathy.
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#269606 - 05/01/14 03:24 PM
Re: Father, 2 young kids missing in SC national park
[Re: Russ]
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Veteran
Registered: 10/14/08
Posts: 1517
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Sorry, taking small kids in the backcountry without a plan borders on child endangerment; I have no sympathy. I agree with that wholeheartedly, Russ. Some adults need to learn the Cub Scout method for dealing with getting lost or separated: Hug a Tree and blow your whistle until found!
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#269607 - 05/01/14 04:21 PM
Re: Father, 2 young kids missing in SC national park
[Re: Russ]
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Addict
Registered: 01/09/09
Posts: 631
Loc: Calgary, AB
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A cheap GPS OTOH, can tell them exactly where the parking lot is located, IF they remembered to mark the car; a mapping GPS might actually show the parking lot. Its also good to learn how to use the coordinates from your GPS to find your precise location on your map. I think all three, map, compass & GPS, work great together; I don't see it as GPS or map & compass.
_________________________
Victory awaits him who has everything in order — luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck. Roald Amundsen
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#269608 - 05/01/14 05:30 PM
Re: Father, 2 young kids missing in SC national park
[Re: Denis]
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Geezer
Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
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Yep, in areas with good terrain features you can sometimes get by with just the map IF you keep updating your location on the map as you go. The guy who "suddenly" discovers he's lost can really use a GPS to give him a starting point. Still, as you indicate, being able to take what's on your GPS and transfer that info to the map is a required skill.
Sorta off-topic: I started navigation with celestial and LORAN as my input. Later we used a Litton LTN-51 and later still LTN-72 inertial nav systems. A couple miles of error was no big deal; just get close enough so the TACAN can pick up a signal. GPS is so nice... but what to do when that CME bullet strikes and we lose all the great tech -- back to map & compass and the sun, moon & stars. That will not be a good day.
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#269610 - 05/01/14 06:00 PM
Re: Father, 2 young kids missing in SC national park
[Re: Glock-A-Roo]
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Old Hand
Registered: 04/16/03
Posts: 1076
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The irony is that the guy could have texted his coordinates to the wife or 911 and it would all have been wrapped up quickly.
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