Posted by: GrumpyGord
Another rescue - 04/13/16 09:26 AM
Another rescue with media hype.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morn...ern-wilderness/A couple of problems: Wandering around in circles with no clear destination is not a good strategy and the implication that a 72 year old is nearly helpless is just not true. Leaving her car to go to the creek which she could see was OK but then return to the car or at least stick to the road she came in on. There are things in the car which could have held more water than a nutella jar. As a 76 year old I resent the implication that anyone over 60 is just almost helpless.
Yeah, I saw her on a news report this morning. She admitted leaving the car was a mistake, but she did a lot right after that and she sure has a great attitude and personality.
I think she'd agree with you too. She was and is far from "helpless".
Posted by: Rick_D
Re: Another rescue - 04/13/16 03:43 PM
Tough lady. Not movie-tough but tough of constitution and staying centered. Qualities that did her and her little dog well.
Why did she not leave a note in the car?
Ah well, probably did better than I would have, although I'd have had a GPS along, being a toy maven. Better to stay found.
Posted by: 4evrplan
Re: Another rescue - 04/13/16 04:44 PM
“I could definitely paint for the next 20 years all the incredibly beautiful canyons, trees, rivers and rocks that I saw,”
Sounds like she actually enjoyed herself.
Posted by: OregonMouse
Re: Another rescue - 04/13/16 08:58 PM
One of the "rules" of being lost/misplaced is to stay put (but in a visible location in the daytime) so SAR can find you!
We focus on getting lost while backpacking, but this brings up the possibility of having your car break down while en route or returning to home from a backpack trip.
An emergency kit in the car should include a few gallons of water, extra food (such as MRE's), and warm clothing, blanket and insulating pad. I have these in the car even when I am not backpacking. You need the same "10 essentials" in your car all the time as you would take on any day-hike.
I used to put a 50-pound of dog food in the trunk to provide weight for traction on snowy roads. Figured it could double as emergency food. I never had to test the edibility of dog food. In college, I knew some poor students who occasionally ate dog food!
I agree that age has nothing to do with survival, until you get to the "old" old age. May be a different situation if you were 95.