I was thinking about this some time ago: What if the 'Equipped to Survive' becomes the 'Equipped to Search and Rescue'?

Scenario: You're on a hike, of course well prepared when you think you hear 3 whistle blasts in the distance. You're in doubd, so you wait a minute. Again you hear 3 whistle blasts. Looks like someone is in trouble...

How are you going to pinpoint the location of the sound? Will you try to find them yourself or are you going to alert the SAR-team? How will you avoid getting lost yourself, how do you act when you find the person that's in trouble?

What would you do??

Well, I am the SAR team. ;-)

I would investigate. If i'm within hearing distance of the whistle, I believe I would be able to get closer and closer to the location. I would definately take my time though, stay put and concentrate on the whistle sound, I wouldn't run around like crazy trying to find the person without paying attention to the whistle sound. This way, I think I lessen my chances of getting lost.

I would administer first-aid if required and give the person something to eat and drink. I will give them all the gear I have that might be helpful : AMK heatsheet, firestarting material, etc.

Then, see if the person can walk, if so I would try to bring them back to safety myself. If not, I would go back to the trail (assuming there might be one) and place a signal of some sort (flagging tape with message written on a piece of paper, along with an arrow made of branches). If I meet someone, i'll ask them to go for help while I care for the person. If not, well I will go get help myself.

Along the way, if cellular service is available, I will organise the evac by calling 9-1-1.

:-)

I think the first thing I'd do is reply to their whistle with one or two whistle blasts of my own, so they know someone is hearing them. Then what Bee said, though depending on where we are, I might not send a send someone off for help by themselves - being a Scouter, I'm a big fan of the buddy system.

Also, since I carry a PLB when I think I might be out of cell phone range, that can call for help as a last resort.

As for responding to the whistle, how many think that by responding that the stranded/injured person will then stop blowing the whistle and make the search that much harder?

First thing I'd do is mark a GPS position where I heard the whistle and I like KenK's suggestion of whistling back -- a little hope goes a long way. The guy may be mobile and lost and may walk to you.

Regardless, slow down and think the situation through, be methodical. I'll most likely be solo so not compounding the situation is high on my list. Anyway, pull out GPS and compass and see if I can get a most likely bearing on the sound. Then I go find the source of the whistle.

If the other party is just lost and still mobile, we will probably hike out together. If he got lost once, he can get lost again.

If he's not mobile, then I set him/her up in a shelter with fire and I hike out to cell coverage. If at this time I've finally purchased a PLB, this would be an appropriate use.

He could also walk away from you... Unless he also know's STOP, and would stay put. I think it would be better if he would just stay put, untill I found him.

I would hope they wouldn't do that. That would be terribly stupid.

I was taught (right or wrong), that when you're in trouble you give three bursts. If you are a responder and you hear those three, you respond with two bursts to acknowlege. Furthermore, if you are the responder and you want the lost party to signal again to help you localize, you give two bursts (as a query) and that lost party should respond with their three bursts as a response.

It is important that "we" not become part of the problem. So, in addition to using your GPS and compass/map to locate where you are now, and where the "victim" might be, should you locate the victim and find that he/she has fallen into a tricky location and is injured to boot, do not make the mistake of trying to get to the victim yourself. That might cause you to be trapped or injured as well. Mark the location, then go for professional and properly equipped help.

Misery loves company, make sure that it isn't you...

Try shouting first, I know it doesn't travel as well as a whistle and its harder to do, but it gives you a lot more information. It gives you a range, either with in shouting distance or between shouting distance and whistle distance. If the person responds they can fill you in on their situation, whether or not they can walk, and you can play "Marco Polo" until you find each other. Either with a mobile person moving toward you (you are on the trail or at a known spot), or with you moving towards an immobile person. If shouting fails to garner a responce, then try responding with whistle blasts. I would probably move towards the person marking my path with engineer tape or similar. Then evaluate the situation from there. Render any aid I can then lead the person out, or go for or call for help.