Lucky, but not equipped...

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?

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="" />