I think some of you have forgotten that the OP made it clear that she was in Canada. On Vancouver Island, specifically. So NPS or Sheriff’s Departments, as you know them in the US wouldn’t have made a difference.
OP, who was involved in SAR? I’m thinking it might have been SAR out of CFB Comox. An old friend was stationed there as a Canadian airman, and said they do more SAR out of CFB Comox than anything else.
Regardless, I’m glad to hear that you are fine, OP. That was a rather harrowing story.
Living in the wet tropics muslin and cotton is wunderbar around the house but even then I don’t use it as a base layer when riding motorcycle as our frog strangler down bursts can leave you soaked to the skin and shivering all the way home. Poly for me.
As someone who has had a brush or two with near-death out in the world can I tell you that your reactions are very normal?
The key is not to obsess too much. Of course you’ll be thinking about it, but it’s important to get back to normal life, distract yourself when you start to get lost in the memories, and recover.
Remember - you survived. Your preparations and actions weren’t perfect but they were good enough. When it really counted you made good (even if not perfect) choices. Next time you go out hiking you’ll be even better prepared both with gear and mentally.
Yeah, no doubt. Thirty years ago, I was doing some free-exploration rock climbing in Mexico. I shimmied up a notch and popped my head out at the top, and I realized with horror that I was hanging onto a wedge-shaped rock resting across the top of the notch, with a sheer cliff on the other side. If the wedge were to shift forward at all, I’d be riding it down like a surfboard to certain death.
I instantly recognized my recklessness and irresponsibility. After a few seconds of paralyzed pants-shitting terror, I backed myself slowly down, and then returned to the hotel where I lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling in trembling silence.
And even now, decades later, I still have skin-prickling flashbacks to that moment where I got to the top and realized where I was and the risk I was facing. My heart is beating faster right now, just writing about it.
Yup. I used to be on the Ground Search and Rescue team for Civil Air Patrol. I was never involved in a rescue like that, but we prepared for them. Mostly, we looked for downed private planes. Lots of ELT training and rope work training. A downed plane is not gonna have a trail to get to it.
I only did this for about 2 years. But later lived very high up in the Colorado Rockies. That is very much how it happens. and @FloatyGimpy you where more prepared that a lot of folks are. A lot of people get ‘cliffed’ out can no longer go up, or down.
First they put a togue on him, then took off his jacket, put on a warming vest then put a coat on. At the time I wondered whose coat it was, then an emergency rain poncho and then his jacket back on. They put gloves on him with hand warmers inside and then a huge pair of socks over that.
Then they just wanted to get us low enough to be out of the storm so we just started going. When we were just up there waiting and moving in place, there was a couple of times where I told myself I might have to just worry about keeping myself alive and put away the thought of being able to save him as well. Once the rescuers where there I fully stopped worrying about him and just concentrated on myself. We started in a line and he was behind me so I don’t know how they got him to start moving.
Yep, that’s me. You might be wondering how I got into this mess. That’s us towards the end of the rescue. Me in the blue coat and my friend in the yellow.
Really glad it all worked out. Was your friend wearing running shoes? I’m always amazed at the various footwear I see when hiking. Flip-flops, sandals, Keds, non-waterproof footwear on wet trails, etc. Probably fine 99% of the time, but it’s that 1% that will get you.
Yes, he was. And he didn’t have a day pack. He only had a running vest which he stuck some water and treats in. I don’t know how I was OK with it. I just looked at what he had and thought “oh he’s tougher/braver than I am”.
No, hon - that sounds like you might still be blaming yourself. Like I said, I’ve been there. You went out when conditions seemed fine, you made an error or two, and things got worse. That’s why really experienced outdoorspeople always seem to over-prepare: because this sort of thing can happen. The weather changes. Someone slips and injures themselves. Little things.
Quite a few of us have needed rescue at some time. We get it.
We’re just glad that you got out of a bad situation without permanent harm and you’re safe.
Learn from this, go forward, and continue to enjoy the wide, wonderful world we live in.
I know that your focusing on what went wrong and that’s useful, but don’t forget what went right: you got yourself in a bad spot, but you also got you and your friend out of it. You kept your head and took action.
I’ve never been in such a perilous situation (not close) but I have learned that weather does not necessarily move in from west to east but that it can form right on top of you. That was a big surprise to me when it happened. Fortunately (for me) nothing dangerous came of it but I can easily see how it could happen.
Cancel the hike. Or at least explore in more detail whether the other person’s minimal preparation was driven by skill or by ignorance. And if the latter cancel the hike.
Sounds like that person darn near Dunning-Krugered themselves to death. Saved only by the OP’s incrementally better physical preparation and rapidly improving decision-making as the situation deteriorated around him, despite his own failing stamina.
There is a hero here, and it was the OP. Didn’t start heroic, but sure ended up heroic when it got bad. There’s a lot for him to be happy about there which can offset the PTSD-like aspects of mulling over how he worked themselves into the predicament.
I’m surprised that he had a Garmin that could call for help. Having a satellite-enabled Garmin is something that is typically associated with someone who hikes a lot. As such, it seems like someone with that kind of device would have had all the other kinds of equipment that experienced hikers typically have.
One thing that not everyone knows is that some of the most recent phones have ways to contact a satellite for help. If someone is in this kind of situation with just a regular phone, check to see if it has the satellite emergency option.