Search and Rescue had to come and get me Friday night
Snake River Marksman
10/22/07 12:17pm
Becareful and be prepared out there.
I always thought this would be embarrassing but I never realized by how much.
My neighbor and I decided to canoe across the Snake River to go elk hunting. The current swept us downstream faster than we could paddle across, and we were capsized in a rapid. In my arrogance, I wasn't wearing the lifejacket that was at my feet. Don't even bother calling me stupid, I already know it too well. "I never thought it would happen to me!" Sound familiar, every victim says it. If they survive!
Billy ended up on the side of the river with the highway, and I on the other side. He went to get help. I wrung out my fleece jacket and my 50/50 cotton/polyester sweat shirt and did shallow knee bends for 2+ hours till Search and Rescue got the raft over to me. My body temp was 94 when I got into the ambulance. (Under my own power I'm proud to say)
It was 40° and mixed snow and rain with thankfully, no wind.
We launched the canoe about a half hour before dark. So most of the rescue took place after dark. The forest service found the canoe the next morning, not far down stream stuck on a rock, but still servicable.
My PSK was in a pelican 1000 box in my jacket pocket. It floated away at some point, and I am supremely confident that it is still dry and servicable, somewhere in the Palisades resevoir. My knife was in my back pocket. It's just fine. I debated fire by friction, but the first responders were there in less than 20 min. and I wasn't really that cold. If I'd really needed a fire, I'd have had them toss me a couple of road flares. The rapid is very narrow there and it could easily have been done.
My PSK is going to get smaller and simpler. Some tinder (trioxane or something) and matches and a sparker or small lighter, and probably half of a space blanket, in a match container, around my neck or something. The rest can go in a gear bag.
This was a bad situation that could have been a whole lot worse. If Billy and I had both ended up on the same side of the river, It would either have been a long climb out, or a very cold 24hour wait till my wife reported us overdue and someone came looking for us.
Right now I'm feeling a lot of guilt for Billy having been there, though as he told me, "You didn't make me do anything I didn't want to" Still........
Yes this really did happen to me Friday night. If you don't have a small Personal Survival Kit made up that you carry IN A POCKET ON YOUR PERSON AT ALL TIMES make one, get one or contact me and I'll get you one. I've been an outdoorsman all my life, I've studied and PRACTICED survival skills for years, and I was still screwed Friday night. It most certainly CAN happen to YOU.
I always thought this would be embarrassing but I never realized by how much.
My neighbor and I decided to canoe across the Snake River to go elk hunting. The current swept us downstream faster than we could paddle across, and we were capsized in a rapid. In my arrogance, I wasn't wearing the lifejacket that was at my feet. Don't even bother calling me stupid, I already know it too well. "I never thought it would happen to me!" Sound familiar, every victim says it. If they survive!
Billy ended up on the side of the river with the highway, and I on the other side. He went to get help. I wrung out my fleece jacket and my 50/50 cotton/polyester sweat shirt and did shallow knee bends for 2+ hours till Search and Rescue got the raft over to me. My body temp was 94 when I got into the ambulance. (Under my own power I'm proud to say)
It was 40° and mixed snow and rain with thankfully, no wind.
We launched the canoe about a half hour before dark. So most of the rescue took place after dark. The forest service found the canoe the next morning, not far down stream stuck on a rock, but still servicable.
My PSK was in a pelican 1000 box in my jacket pocket. It floated away at some point, and I am supremely confident that it is still dry and servicable, somewhere in the Palisades resevoir. My knife was in my back pocket. It's just fine. I debated fire by friction, but the first responders were there in less than 20 min. and I wasn't really that cold. If I'd really needed a fire, I'd have had them toss me a couple of road flares. The rapid is very narrow there and it could easily have been done.
My PSK is going to get smaller and simpler. Some tinder (trioxane or something) and matches and a sparker or small lighter, and probably half of a space blanket, in a match container, around my neck or something. The rest can go in a gear bag.
This was a bad situation that could have been a whole lot worse. If Billy and I had both ended up on the same side of the river, It would either have been a long climb out, or a very cold 24hour wait till my wife reported us overdue and someone came looking for us.
Right now I'm feeling a lot of guilt for Billy having been there, though as he told me, "You didn't make me do anything I didn't want to" Still........
Yes this really did happen to me Friday night. If you don't have a small Personal Survival Kit made up that you carry IN A POCKET ON YOUR PERSON AT ALL TIMES make one, get one or contact me and I'll get you one. I've been an outdoorsman all my life, I've studied and PRACTICED survival skills for years, and I was still screwed Friday night. It most certainly CAN happen to YOU.
5,024
Glad you're okay you that you guys made it out.
Scary.
Thanks for the information. We fish the gulfcoast waters and every year an "experienced" water person drowns from not wearing a PFD. We now all wear the inflatables around the waist on our boat (it is mandatory for all passengers). Cold is generally not an issue here, but its good to hear you made it out OK. I would like some information on the personal survival kit (what is in one and where to get or make one). I am heading to Montana in November mule deer hunting and this is my first time away from the deep south. I know the woods pretty well, but severe weather around here is generally rain and wind, but not severe cold. We can all learn a lesson from you. thanks again
Horse sense
+1 on getting information on what you keep in your personal survival kit. I always carry what I feel could save my life, but I keep it in my pack. I just realized that in your situation I wouldn't have my pack on and I'd be in big trouble.
I also always carry a PSK with me whenever I am out hiking, hunting, fishing, etc.