Hiking Accident Prevention: Chances of Survival
October 10, 2021
What You Don’t Know Can Kill You
Category: Hiking
Why Hiking Preparation Is Important
October 8, 2021
Video: Officer Adam Cheney New Hampshire Department of Fish & Game “Hikers Not Prepared For Terrain” July 2018
Unprepared Is A Common Theme In Mountain Rescue
Current News Stories
Los Angeles Times 1/13/20 Unprepared hikers rescued from Mt. Baldy area, By Jaclyn Cosgrove
NSNews.com 10/26/20 Unprepared hiker rescued from Hanes Valley, By Jane Seyd (Canada)
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Stay Safe In The Backcountry – Learn The 10 Essentials of Hiking
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Trip Planning Resources For Hikers and Backpackers
Hiking Accident Prevention: The Hazards of Mountain Crevasses
September 30, 2021
Crevasse At Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska
A crevasse is an opening in glacial ice. Some crevasses are not obvious, since they’re covered with snow. Falling into a crevasse is a harrowing experience. Some falls may be fatal.
RELATED ARTICLES
EastIdahoNews.com 8/13/20 Young father who survived horrifying fall into glacier speaks from hospital bed, By Nate Eaton. Video and story.
RocketMiner.com via Wyoming News Exchange 8/22/20 On the Teton Glacier, determined climbers save an Evanston man’s life, By Mike Koshmrl. This is the same story as above. It details the full story of how he fell into a crevasse, his rescue by fellow climbers, the helicopter rescue, and his hospital stay.
National Parks Traveler.org 6/30/20 Missing Climber Died In Crevasse on Mt. Rainier, Will Remain There, By NPT Staff. Hazardous mountain conditions unsafe for recovery team.
InsideHalton.com 10/26/20 Multiple injuries: Woman rushed to trauma centre after 50-foot fall in Burlington, By David Lea.
KomoNews.com 9/16/19 Climber credits quick thinking, luck after surviving crevasse fall on Mount Rainier, By Keith Eldridge
NYPost.com 10/30/20 Body of missing Oregon climber found in crevasse on Mount Hood, By Joshua Rhett Miller
CBSNEWS.com 1/9/15 Snowmobiler stuck in freezing ravine wrote goodbye notes to family, By CBS/AP. (This is a related story about a snowmobiler who survived after falling into a ravine).
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Trip Planning Resources For Hikers and Backpackers.
Hiking Accident Case: Esther Dingley, Missing Hiker 2020
September 7, 2021
Hiking Death Stories Are Unpleasant To Learn About, Especially One Involving A Fit And Healthy Woman In The Prime of Life
In November 2020, Esther Dingley was a 37 year old British woman who went on a 3 day hiking trip alone in the Pyrenees mountains, near the border of France and Spain. When she failed to return, her family reported her missing. She never came back. Her body was found at the bottom of a cliff, by her partner, who carried out an intensive search to find her. The cause of her fall was accidental: the result of wearing worn out boots that caused her to slip and fall off a cliff.
HIKING SOLO IS A RISK
As I’ve mentioned before in previous posts, hiking solo is a risk. If you get lost, injured, or sick there is no one there to help you. Electronic devices may not work in remote areas. This leaves you helpless. And even if you contacted help and got through, it may take hours for them to reach you. In that space of time, you’re situation becomes deadly.
RELATED POSTS
Solo Hikers Go Missing On The Trail
Hiking Accident Prevention: Solo Mountain Hiking Is A Risk You Shouldn’t Take
September 7, 2021
34 Year Old Solo Hiker Jennifer Coleman Found Dead In Glacier National Park
This story appeared in the media on Monday, September 5, 2021. A 34 year old hiker from Virginia was found dead in Glacier National Park, while on a solo hiking trip. Her family reported her misssing when they hadn’t heard from her for several days.
Park officials believe that Jennifer Coleman of Richmond, Virginia, may have been hiking at Highline Trail, or Dragon’s Tail, a dangerous ridge located within Logan Pass. There are reports that another hiker died after falling 500 feet from Dragon’s Tail in 2020.
The depth of grief when losing a child can make a parent very sick, or possibly kill them,
because the stress of living with this event feels like a weight sitting and
pressing down on your heart. The only fortunate aspect of this story is that her family
had closure, which in many missing persons cases, there is none.
MEDIA ARTICLES
Searcher’s Find Hiker’s Body In Glacier National Park,
Virginia Hiker Not Heard From In Nearly A Week Found Dead In Glacier National Park.
RELATED BLOG POSTS
Solo Hikers Go Missing On The Trail
Solo Hikers Lost In the North Cascades
Hiking Accident Prevention: Solo Hikers Disappear In the North Cascades Two Months Apart
September 7, 2021
S T O R I E S P A S T A N D P R E S E N T
Samantha Sayers Nor Rachel Lakoduk Returned From Their Solo Hiking Trip
SAMANTHA SAYERS
Samantha Sayers was 27-years-old when she disappeared on August 1, 2019, while hiking solo in the Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest, of the North Cascades mountain range.
Her plan was to summit Vesper Peak at 6,220 feet, and return by 6:00 PM. Her preparation included hiking poles, three sandwiches, chips and water.
The last time she was seen was 3:00 PM, when she had lunch with another hiker near the summit.
The trail to the summit is considered difficult and rigorous. Sayers had successfully climbed it before. But, after an extensive 8,000 hour search, not a trace of her turned up.
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RACHEL LAKODUK
9n October 17, 2019 Rachel Lakoduk set out on a solo overnight hike in the North Cascades mountains of Washington state. She was on her way to Hidden Lake Lookout, and planned to stay in a remote Cascades cabin located at 6800 feet. She was never seen again.
Two rescue attempts followed on October 19th and 20th. Both times rescuers faced imminent danger and had to turn back, due to extreme weather conditions, the possibility of avalanche, and 2 to 6 feet of trail snow.
On October 22, the rescuers reached the remote cabin, but there was no sign of Rachel. She was 28-years-old.
UPDATE: In August 2021 Rachel Lakoduk’s body was found by a private search and rescue group.
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ONLINE NEWS ARTICLES
Herald.net 9/14/18 “The 8,000-hour search to #find sam sayers on vesper peak” By Caleb Hutton
Seattle.Met 4/23/19 “Where on earth is Sam Sayers?” By Allison Williams
HeraldSun.com 10/22/19 “Rescuers reach remote Cascades cabin but don’t find missing hiker, Washington cops say” By Jaret Gilmour
The North Cascades National Park 10/26/21 “North Cascades National Park Weather”
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Trip Planning Resources For Hikers and Backpackers
Irene Pastore Fitness.com 