How to die in the outdoors

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk...national-parks/

Death from all forms of wildlife are right at the bottom

This article sums up what i was searching for = some stats on how folks actually perish in the outdoors. I suspect the figures for the NPs are representative of the general outdoors.

At least, they correspond with what I have observed in my SAR experience. Surprisingly, in southern Arizona,we experienced nearly as many fatalities from drowning as from falls; in 1981, we lost eight people in a flash flood that roared through a popular (and unregulated or supervised) recreational area. There was a near repeat of this incident just last year, with many people isolated and stranded, but thankfully, no fatalities.

Bottom line. Drive carefully, be thoughtful of possible dangers, sty away from the brink, and don't drive around barricades erected to keep you from driving into flooded streams.

I suppose that would be Antelope Canyon, My family and I went there a few years after the flood. I made sure to check the weather reports on the car radio for the surrounding area before going.

Great info!

Nope, the locality was Tanque Verde Falls, just outside Tucson, AZ. Popular place to smoke a joint and drink booze to excess. We were summoned there quite regularly.

Where is Antelope Canyon?

Antelope Canyon is a tourist attraction on Navajo land in northern Arizona. You've seen pictures of it -

https://antelopecanyon.az/what-is-antelope-canyon/

Thank you very much for the info. Yes, indeed, I have seen pictures of the canyon. Since tours are offered, and Antelope Canyon seems to be at least somewhat regulated and controlled, have there been any fatalities there from undetected flash floods?

With "hundreds and thousands" of visitors (their claim) there surely would be emergency incidents of all sorts....

Northern and Southern Arizona are quite distinctive and different regions with quite different land forms and topography and even climate.

Antelope Canyon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VD5GxluHN8

In 1997 eleven tourists were killed in a flash flood in the slot canyon, caused by a storm miles upstream. In 2010 several tourists were stranded by a flood on a ledge in the canyon. Since then metal ladders have been installed going to the top.

I'd bet compared to urban areas , more people per capita die in National Parks from wildlife.

Do you have any figures or stats? I looked, and this was the best I could find: https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-mortality-risk

Not sure about your question, but these suggest that dogs are the real problem, although dwarfed by opiods and poisoning.

In general, parks are pretty safe environments (national Forests, too, for that matter). I spent a forty-one year career working, and at times, living in national parks and i was generally safer there than when i was living in town. Of the hazards present, wildlife was fairly far down on the list of concerns.

Next time I'm in serious bear country, I'll carry bear spray.

driving, the most dangerous thing you do

In the last two weeks in Colorado we have has another catamount attack, and a black bear attacking a couple in their home. Rare occurrence very rare

Drowning is mostly preventable; people ignore the rules, conditions and over-estimate their own abilities.