I Am A Search And Rescue Officer For The U.S. Forest Service, And I Have Some Advice For All You Survivors

I've been an SAR officer with the USFS for about eight years now. I've worked searches in the Sierras, the Appalachians, and all throughout the Cascades. <br><br>I've found living people, and I've found remains.<br><br>If you like to go into the woods, you should know a few things, especially now, when so many people are going out to "social distance" from civilization. So here are some tips from an SAR officer:<br><br>**Never go out alone**<br><br>This might be a impossibility if you are going to social distance, so at least *tell someone where you are going, and when they should expect to hear from you again.* <br><br>I never go out alone, but one time, a few years ago, I was out on a search by myself when I fell down an embankment. I was looking at a map, and did not see the drop off in front of me. It was a small cliff, maybe ten feet tall, but it fell at such an angle that I landed on my head. The impact was so hard that I felt all the blood in my body rush down to my neck, and I was knocked out for a few seconds.<br><br>I came to, dazed and disoriented, and made the mistake of trying to stand up. My head had taken the brunt of the impact, and I still had no idea where I was or how I got there. I was taken in by a hiker who stayed with me Calle and helped me back to the car. I couldn't drive myself home, and was even told that I wouldn't be allowed to drive home, if I had gone by myself. <br><br>If I had been alone, I might have died. The spot I fell wasn't far from the road, but no one could see me from the path. I might have laid there for hours, or even overnight, before anyone found me.<br><br>*This is why you should always go with a partner.*<br><br>But if you're going to go alone, please, for the love of all that is holy, tell someone where you are and when you plan on being back. We've had multiple missing persons calls from people who went out to take a "solo day hike" and didn't tell anyone their plans. I've searched for people who never even told anyone what car they were driving. <br><br>***These searches are exponentially harder if we don't know what we're looking for.***<br><br>**Bring a map and compass, and know how to use it**<br><br>Most of you know that your cell phone won't work in the forest. Some of you know that GPS-enabled watches aren't always accurate. But most people still rely on electronic devices to tell them where to go. <br><br>I've seen so many people with GPS devices, following the "map" on their screen, straight into the wilderness. They don't even notice that they've deviated from the path until they're a mile or so away from the trail head. <br><br>With a map and compass, you can *always* find your way back. And it doesn't need batteries!<br><br>**Learn what to do if you get lost**<br><br>This is probably the most important thing on this list. <br><br>If you get lost, the best thing to do is stay in one place and wait for help to arrive. Raise your voice and yell periodically, but **only if you hear voices in response.** If you don't hear anyone else, you're just burning calories and wasting your energy. <br><br>I've seen people walk for miles, in what they thought was the right direction, and end up walking further into the wilderness. I know a story of a nine year old girl who got lost in the forest and walked over thirty miles in the wrong direction. I've heard stories of people walking in circles for hours, convinced they're going the right way, until they're so tired they can't walk anymore. <br><br>Stay in one place. If you're near a river or stream, stay there, and stay hydrated. If you're near a road, just stay on it, and flag someone down. Don't try to walk to someone, because they might be miles away, and they might not be coming in your direction. <br><br>***If you get lost, stay in one spot, and stay calm. We will be looking for you.***<br><br>**I know the woods are nice, but the forest is not your friend**<br><br>I love the forest. I spend most of my free time outdoors, either alone or with my husband and dogs. But I know that the forest is not a friend to me. The forest is just the forest. <br><br>I don't care if you think you're "connecting" to Gaia, or if you think the trees are talking to you, or whatever. Every time you go into the forest, you're taking a risk. If you don't respect that risk, I promise you you will eventually learn the hard way that forests and mountains don't give a fuck about you, and don't care if you die on their land. <br><br>I've had people tell me that they don't want to "waste" or "spoil" the natural beauty of the forest by bringing in what they consider "artificial" items, like compasses, first aid kits, extra food, and other "human tools". I've talked to people in the hospital, recovering from severe injuries, who admitted that they had no idea what they were doing when they went out. <br><br>I know the forest is pretty, but if you don't want to spoil it with a few snacks and a map, you shouldn't be out there.<br><br>**Respect the fucking elements**<br><br>I search for people in the rain. I search for people when it's 105 degrees. I've searched for people in blizzards, in the middle of the night, and I've searched when the smoke from forest fires is so thick we could barely see. <br><br>The elements don't care if you aren't prepared for them. If it's 105 degrees, and you didn't bring water or food, that's not the sun's fault. If you go out in your flip flops when you should be in boots, don't blame Mother Nature when you slip and fall. <br><br>Bring an appropriate amount of water for yourself and your companions, and make sure you have enough clothes for any kind of weather. The elements don't care if you think you're being a badass and braving them with nothing but a sheet of aluminum foil to keep you warm.<br><br>***This is probably the most important thing on this list: RESPECT THE WEATHER.***<br><br>**Learn a few basic skills (or don't go out)**<br><br>I know it sounds a little crazy, but there are actually people out there who don't know how to start a fire from scratch. I can't tell you how many times I've come across a lost or injured person, and I've asked them if they've started a fire to stay warm, and they say they don't know how. <br><br>If you don't know how to start a fire, or treat a snake bite, or find a vein to feed an IV, don't go out without someone who does. I don't care how "manly" you think you have to be. If you're going out into the wilderness, you need to know the bare minimum of life-saving skills. If you don't know how, and you hurt yourself, you might not live long enough for someone to find you.<br><br>**Watch where you step**<br><br>I can't tell you how many searches I've gone on that started with a man saying, "My wife was walking in front of me, and I didn't see her fall, but I heard her scream." <br><br>I can't tell you how many women have told me, "I was walking behind my husband, and I heard him fall, and I didn't see him anywhere until I found him at the bottom of the cliff." <br><br>I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "I was carrying my kid on my shoulders, and he slipped off, and fell down that drop." <br><br>If you're going to go out with your partner, or your kid, or even your dog, watch out for where you're walking! No view or photo or "moment" is worth risking your life or the lives of others. <br><br>I know that sometimes this is inevitable, because accidents happen to even the most careful of people. But most of the time, falls and slips could be avoided if the person just *watched where they were walking*. <br><br>Look where you step. Don't look at your phone. Don't look at the view. Don't look at your map. Look *at the ground* and *watch where you step*. <br><br>***Because if you slip and fall, I might be the one who finds you.***<br><br>I love my job. But sometimes it's sad. Sometimes, I find people who are dead, or close to it. Or sometimes, I don't find people, because they're too far away to find, or they're already dead, and there's no point in looking for them. <br><br>If I give you this kind of advice, it's because I don't want to have to find you like that. I don't want to have to tell your family that you're dead. I don't want to have to live with the memory of your dead body. <br><br>If you go out, be safe. Respect the forest. Bring the right supplies. Don't go alone. If you get lost, stay in one place. And for the love of God, **watch where you step.**