As I read it, he was following a trail from a RESORT. There was a trail, a path. When he got turned around, where did he go, down another path? Down a game trail? Into the jungle? If it was another path, well, okay, but.... Game trails are usually about 6" wide & should have been obvious that this wasn't right. If he went into the raw jungle, his brain was in neutral.

Hey, I've gotten lost! I stopped and sat down and thought. Twice, while I was pondering, I heard people, found them by yelling, and they set me straight. The other time, I got out just by thinking. OTOH, I usually keep looking behind me to see what the terrain looks like from there, but this may be a total waste of time in the jungle.

What was this guy doing, anyway? What was he looking at? Didn't he notice ANYTHING about his surroundings that would have tipped him off really soon that he had gone wrong? It took him HALF A DAY to realize he'd made a mistake?

And this guy is a WILDLIFE biologist. Am I completely off track here, or does he not routinely hang around out in the brush? AND without even a few basic necessities???

He was lucky his cell phone even worked there. And if it hadn't? Another moldy body lying in the jungle with all the blood sucked out of it by mosquitoes.

"The worst part was when a helicopter flew over on the last day and didn't see me. I screamed and shouted..." (Tittering here!) He's watched too many movies! There isn't a chopper pilot in the entire world that can hear someone on the ground shouting! Get real! Take off your shirt and wave it! Start shaking a tree branch, anything but wasting your energy shouting at a helicopter.

He may be smart. He may be educated. But he hasn't got the sense of dryer lint. And he's DAMNED LUCKY!

Sue

I think that's your answer. He was doing what biologists do- looking at the biology, and not paying attention to his surroundings.

Sounds interesting -- would you be willing to share your class slyabus?

tro

Susan:

Don't hold back, tell us what you really think. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Goatrider:

Sounds like a story I recently read/heard about (2) hunters who were so busy dressing out a kill that they didn't hear a bear come up on them. I believe (1) of the hunters was seriously hurt.

Bountyhunter

Bountyhunter,

The gun you are looking for already exists. The FN Baracuda is exactly that with interchangeable cylinder/crane assembly in 9mm/.357. You will pay a premium for one though. I think the main problem with such a gun is that ballistically there is nothing a 9mm will do for you that isn't found within the .38 special - .357 magnum envelope. I love the idea of versatility especially in a survival handgun. The .357 magnum has about the widest range of power of any of them from .38 wadcutters to heavy magnum loads. To throw 9mm into the mix you are just expanding the middle in terms of power. Mac

Pict:

Who makes the FN Baracuda and where can I see one?

The desire for versatility is a matter of practical considerations. In the USA the power range of the .357 magnum and ammunition availability makes it an easy choice, but our military standard is now the 9MM. A lot of todays young people who want high capacity semi-auto pistols think the 9MM is the cats pajamas (Also they are afraid of the recoil and cannon like boom of the .45 auto.), so l may find 9MM available when a .38 or .357 magnum caliber is not.

I will never forget that some anal retentive twit of a police official in California (Where else?) gave some female officer a citation of merit for spraying 14 rounds at a bad guy without hitting him once. If she had been using a .45, she either would have quit the force or learned proper firing procedures.

Bountyhunter
<img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Four miles is a long way in the jungle, but I can imagine how it happened
1. Air travel (and to another country) so no knife, limited psk
2. Comfortable enough in the bush to not pay attention
3. Out for a walk at a resort - what could happen?

I'd say he was not the typical lost tourist, but probably someone who "knew better". I would have a hard time admitting I was lost or not in control of the situation.

In spite of my uid, I've never been "lost" only turned around for a few hours. I nearly always have a sense of direction, so if I ever lost that I'd probably be screwed.

I can see how my own arrogance and the fact that I've always gotten myself out in the past could get me really lost some day. But that's why I read this board! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />