http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jht.../25/ixhome.html

Just think, A simple knife and lighter (fire) could have had him rescued much earlier. Even a whistle or something shiny to attract the helicopter could have helped. Definately not good at preparation. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />
(Someone should e-mail that guy about this website) <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

He would be better off staying home in England. Preferably at home.

One thing I have never understood: when someone realizes they are lost, why do they keep moving? PARK IT!

Sue

"Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun." O.K. he messed up. But the man is a biologist in the rainforest. I don't think he was there for the surfing. Maybe he might discover the aspirin of the 21st century. Nobody does this staying at home. When somebody gets lost they potentially harm themselves and sometimes the people trying to find them going ' in harm's way.' I imagine the gentleman has 'got religon' and won't repeat his error.

Had he had any training -- survival, camping, even wilderness first aid -- he would have been better off.

He might have known the basics; leave a note, bring the ten essentials, stay in one place, etc.

Training, friends. More inportant than even, dare I say it, equipment

If you watch Storm Stories on the Weather Channel, you'll see a lot of things like this. People
don't think it will happen to them. And they probably don't learn anything from that experience.
One story had an "experienced backpacker" get lost for 4 days. He panicked and ran around instead of stopping and thinking about his situation,and it was just dumb luck that he was found. He lost 30 pounds in 4 days. How does someone lose 30 pounds in 4 days <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

A few years ago I half woke up to a loud THUMP from the apartment above me. Two days later the paramedics manhandled my very much deceased 300 lb nieghbor out the narrow door and down two flights of stairs. The newspaper mentioned he was an avid, daily swimmer- said swimming consisting of walking in the shallow end with a 6 pack and bag of fritos. His heart attack was a 'complete suprise.' Experience in doing things wrong is useless. Some people who survive their own inappropriate experience do get religon. Others just get carried down the stairwell <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

How does someone lose 30 pounds in 4 days. Other than cutting off a leg I'd say dehydration.

I wonder how many moldy tourists are littering the jungle floors of the world? This guy is a prime case in point for the PSK or a well stocked day pack.

I teach an informal class several times a year centered around the scenario of "When good day hikes turn bad". This is far more common than you think. Here in central Brazil the papers run several of these stories a year. A group of kids goes out on a hike and is found three days later ripped to shreds, dehydrated, covered in ticks, and starving.

It seems like there's no middle ground in terms of preparation here. Either people take to the serra with 60 lb packs or in shorts and a pair of flip flops. I spent 48 hours out with my daughter this week and we managed with about 15 lbs each not counting water. We had a great time in some of the world best scenery. Mac

Pict:

If in your travels in Brazil you happen to be in the neighborhood of the Taurus firearms factory, stop in and ask them to consider building a 5-shot, three inch barrel, stainless steel, double action, adjustible sights, 357/9MM.

Instead of just a spare cylinder for the 9MM, tell them to make it a complete crane assembly attached to the cylinder so that conversion from one caliber to another would be quick and simple.

Right now, the only manufacturer of that combination is Strum Ruger Firearms and the one they have is a single action.

Bountyhunter

It's a hard judgement call. Most often when people are lost they can find themselves by keeping moving. I've done it. You don't read about those cases in the media because they don't need rescue. The trick is to realise you are in a situation so unusual that your usual solutions won't work. It's hard. That's a big part of why we have disasters.

It sounds like this guy figured that out about the time it got dark and he was still lost. As far as I can tell, he stayed put for the night, then in morning moved to where he could use his mobile phone. I think that was probably the right thing to do. It's what led to his eventual rescue.

When he was in touch with his rescuers, they told him to move again, to near the river. He did that then stayed put until they found him - several days. What would you have done differently?