30 July 2009
Hug a Tree or Hike 8 Miles
Posted by admin under: hiking .
Well, the rule isn’t hike around until you find a trail and somebody who can direct you to a location where you can call your parents. The rule is hug a tree. Stay put. People will know when they last saw you and can figure out how far you probably got when they lost sight of you. Hiking around can get you more lost or injured if you encounter some dangerous terrain, which is pretty much all terrain. Hiker Hell has the story with a link to the original posting.
Who: Two 16-year-old Boy Scouts
Where: Wenatchee National Forest, Washington
Their mistake: They got separated from their group
What happened: A Boy Scout troop was hiking at night when two 16-year-olds became separated. When the group realized they were gone, a rescue was immediately mobilized.
While rescuers began their search, the two boys found a trail and hiked on it until they found a trail marker. They then found cell phone reception and called their parents. They were able to tell their parents the situation and give them the trail number they were on.
At 1 p.m. the next day, searchers found the boys. They were 8 miles from the last point they were seen. Although they could’ve stayed put to make it easier for rescuers to find them, scout leaders praised the boys’ actions of staying on a trail, staying out of trouble and using their cell phones to contact help.
The boys were in good condition when they were found.
*sigh*
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One Comment so far...
Sean Catherall Says:
5 August 2009 at 6:11 pm.
I wonder why micro-transmitters that can be picked up by satellite (a la Lo-Jack) haven’t been incorporated into the latest version of the Boy Scout uniform? Oh, that’s right. The satellite-guided rescue crews would find the boys’ uniforms under their beds, not on the boys. 
