What information is most important for a S&R team?

Long story short I do a lot of foraging and fishing and this past weekend I got lost and had no cell service. I was able to (somehow) make it back to my car before sundown. This made me reflect on how ill-prepared I was for getting lost and how much worse it could have been had I not found my way back to my car.

From now on I am going to leave an action plan of sorts with my dad or another trusted contact. My question for you all is what information should be included in that plan? Would something like destination, activity, method of transportation, companions, departure date, and expected return time cover all of my bases? Am I missing anything that you as a S&R professional would deem important enough to be included with the above info that would aid you in finding me in the event I get lost for real?

Edited to add: I go foraging in the area I was at frequently so I didn't tell anyone I was going. So if I got lost no one would have known I was even missing. That's why I want to leave an action plan with a trusted person, so that I can be found if I get lost for real.

in searchandrescueby justanotherperson297

96%

1mo

Tke253

1mo

Generally where you are going, how you are getting there, time they should expect you to be back, clothing, any important medical conditions like diabetes for example, what kind of gear you had

justanotherperson297

1mo

Just curious but how does the gear I have on me affect S&R efforts?

Tke253

1mo

Helpful to know, if it’s cold out were you prepared with a good winter jacket, did you have stuff to shelter in if you got lost? Also if we come across something and we know it’s something you had then we know we are on the right path

justanotherperson297

1mo

Makes sense!

ExpressiveAnalGland

1mo

Did they bring a tent? They are intending to travel far.

Did they leave a crutch in the car? They will be close.

Did they leave behind empty prescription/alcohol bottles? You won't find them alive.

justanotherperson297

1mo

Couldn't that kind of info be inferred from the activity I record doing in the plan?

ExpressiveAnalGland

1mo

depends on who you are and why you are missing.

There's the person that sets out, not wanting to be lost.

Then there's the person that sets out, wanting to get lost.

Then there's the searcher trying to find a person that may or may not want to be found.

Quatermain

1mo

Leave a picture of the soles of your shoes and size w/ your contact.

ep0k

1mo

Gear affects search urgency and probability of detection, along with other factors. Did you bring equipment appropriate for your activity, season, weather, and did something change since you have been missing? Where I am, that could affect whether the Wardens feel good about doing a hasty search with limited manpower, or if they want to bring in other resources (K-9, volunteer SAR, aviation assets with FLIR, etc). Those all take different timelines to deploy and everyone wants to be mindful of the finances as well.

PopeOnABomb

1mo

/u/justanotherperson297, where you are going includes where you are going next. For example, after foraging you plan to go to X. Even if X isn't related to foraging.

And you might want to include your intended paths of travel.

Example: "I'm taking highway 123 to foraging. When I get there, I plan to take the northeast trail or the west trail. I'm taking highway 456 back and stopping to see a movie at AMC."

Ionized-Dustpan

1mo

Get garmin inreach and let family live track you across the globe without cell signal. It will take all the search out of rescue you so that. Any other suggestion only is a tiny small aid in comparison.

BallsOutKrunked

WEMT / WFR / RFR / CA MRA Team

1mo

Yeah in addition, leave it on all the time. If you want to stop automatic tracking at night, do that. We had a guy last year who has his inreach on tracking, all good. Turns it off at night, then takes off the next morning, makes it a bit, then slides down a snowfield and dies. If his inreach was on (and it has a view of the sky) we can get garmin to ping it and pull the info.

Ryan_Van

North Shore Rescue / BC Search Dog Association

1mo

https://plan.adventuresmart.ca/

justanotherperson297

1mo

That's a pretty thorough plan generator with just the kind of info I was looking for. Thank you!

Ihaveacompass

1mo

I've used it for years. It's a good app.

newfoundking

Canadian GSAR

1mo

Came to comment this. I use this app every time I go out, and I stick to my plan. If it changes, I update the plan or if I can't, I change my plan. Ain't no way I'm being the next lost person.

Ruth-Stewart

1mo

That looks pretty cool! I’m gonna check it out a bit more but I think that is potentially worth linking to from our team webpage.

sauvagedunord

1mo

I teach GO TWA (does anyone remember TWA?) as a plan to leave with a trusted individual. Where I'm GOING. OTHERS with me (and our contact information). TIME I expect to return. WHAT I want you to do if I do not return on time. ACTIONS I am going to take if I am delayed.

Don't deviate from your plan unless you have a means to send adjustments to your trusted individual. Leave yourself enough time in case you're delayed without problems but not so much you'll languish in agony if you're injured. Last: when you get home, close your plan with with your trusted individual. If we're out looking for you and you're home with your feet up, we'll find you. And we'll kill you.

justanotherperson297

1mo

Duly noted sir 🫡

rockdude14

1mo

Instead of focusing on a SAR response, I'd recommend focusing on not getting into that situation in the first place. Gps on your phone or a standalone one, map and compass as a back up, bring another person with you, some kind of plb or other communication device, a whistle or some other kind of signaling device.

Are you bringing the 10 essentials with you?

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

justanotherperson297

1mo

Absolutely. I take the 10 essential with me every time but I tend to go places without cell service. I'll look into getting a dedicated gps.

rockdude14

1mo

Your cell doesn't need a signal for the GPS to work. That's what I primarily use. Then map and compass as back up.

sergei1980

1mo

Like someone else said, be prepared to spend the night. If you can survive the night your odds are a lot better.

Let someone know where you'll park or on which roads you'll leave the car. In the car leave a note with your expected route and time back (a closed envelope on the dashboard will do it you don't want the details visible to everybody). Let someone reliable know by which time they should check in, and which time to call 911.

If you can afford it, an inreach mini is amazing. It's very small and light so I always keep it on me. Satellite communication with GPS, keep it on your body, not your pack, so if you fall and break a leg it's within reach.

A waterproof map is ideal, but any printed map helps. Learn to navigate without a GPS. Techniques like mentioned here are very useful, identify the handrails (highways, powerlines, etc) in the area: https://morninghiker.com/map-reading-techniques/

Most important, learn how to make safe decisions. Most people realize they're in trouble and then they make things worse. If you're lost but have everything you need, stay put and wait for rescue (call it yourself if possible). My first mission was a couple with a minor injury less than two miles from the trailhead, they felt embarrassed to call for help but we barely got them out before sunset in the mountains, it was a pleasant walk in the woods. My second mission was someone who realized they were lost, had phone signal but still tried to get themselves out, we found their body a day and a half later, it was the second worst mission I've been in.

sketchyAnalogies

1mo

I get embarrassment is too often a decision factor, but realistically... We'd all almost certainly rather get paid/volunteer to go on a simple hike to fetch some folks for a minor injury or who got turned around, then have to do look high and low for a corpse.

Something I'm realizing now +and I'd love feedback) is asking "if I call SAR, what's the worst case scenario?" (can SAR find you quickly or in time?) and "if I don't call SAR what's the best case scenario?" ('if I self rescue, what are my odds?") If the answers to either of those questions get pretty sketchy... I.e. an unplanned overnight... time to ring the calvary.

Biggest advice I got in scouting and other youth programs when it comes to pain and wilderness issues like blisters... DO NOT BE A HERO!! Worst case you pull some nice folks out of the office and on a nice hike, best case scenario you get to keep paying MetLife some life insurance premiums.

akshea

1mo

Came here to say this. Live in a small Alaska town and I try to work our volunteer team into public “teachable moments” about how some of the most simple planning and forethought can avoid a little mishap into becoming a full blown callout.

ExpressiveAnalGland

1mo

Always leave a really good footprint in your car. and using the SAME shoes you are wearing on your hike.

use black construction paper and stomp on it, that'll leave a good print.

then if you get lost, the trackers have something solid to go by.

[deleted]

1mo

^This guy tracks. :)

justanotherperson297

1mo

That's really smart. In the event I didn't have a piece of paper would a photo of my footprint work?

ExpressiveAnalGland

1mo

doesn't matter how you communicate what the print is, as long as you can give them a clear print.

The tracker only needs 1 good print, and then they will take a picture of it on their phone so they can reference it in the field. Even a line drawing is helpful!

When a tracker is gathering information, they will first look in like 3 places (provided they have the location of your car): outside the driver door, at the trunk of your car (since people often change shoes there), or as last resort, the brake pedal (for a partial print).

regicideispainless

W-EMT/PA-C

1mo

Or step on a sheet of aluminum foil

RaiththeRogue

1mo

We teach elementary students in our community about the footprint thing. Would recommend walking naturally across your marker material (construction paper or aluminum foil) so that your gait and natural footprint are transferred. But anything is helpful for the tracker team. Be safe out there.

sketchyAnalogies

1mo

You're giving me great training ideas thanks!

Quatermain

1mo

or leave a photo of the soles & size w/ your reporting party, along w/ itinerary & other gear descriptions.

or both

DaysOfParadise

1mo

Always prepare for an overnight.

RaiththeRogue

1mo

Please review the 10 essential items everyone should carry in the back country.

https://www.nps.gov/articles/10essentials.htm

Then tailor what you carry to your specific needs.

AnnonPenguin

1mo

At what point do you bring shelter, repair kit, and fire? An e-bivy at REI is $20, but I feel a little silly bringing one of those and matches on a 3 mile (6 round trip) day hike when there’s no forecasted chance of rain and it’s July (PNW), and would feel silly grabbing extra bivies for others in my party who would not already own one.

Obviously very different if attempting a 14 mile hike in March.

And, I can’t imagine people trail running hit all of the essential 10.

Extra food, water, spare raincoat, etc. all make total sense.

RaiththeRogue

1mo

It’s tough, I get it. I guess it is really up to the individual or family going into the back country. But having done SAR for a while, I’ll happily carry a few emergency bivys for my family any time we are in unfamiliar territory in the mountains. Here in Colorado, a 60° April or May Day hike can turn into a 2 ft snow dump and survival situation within 4 hours. I’d rather feel silly or temporarily discomforted by grabbing a backpack on a short hike than not have critical, life saving equipment in an emergency.

rockdude14

1mo

Bring it when you think there's a chance you could spend the night. If you're trail running in the park it's pretty reasonable to expect EMS (not even SAR) would get you out before night. However, even in the pnw in July it can hit 40 overnight in a lot of places. If you aren't moving, you're going to cool quickly. Toss in an injury/illness/blood loss, shock becomes a concern and that is more likely if you are cold too.

I'm not an advocate for just blindly following rules. I'm more for understanding why you should bring them, deciding if there's other ways you can mitigate that risk, then deciding what risk you are or aren't good with since that's a personal decision.

For example if you bring an inreach, it's a three mile hike, and know you can give a good location and reach SAR immediately maybe your comfortable skipping the bivy. If your emergency plan is your wife calls at midnight if you don't show up and SAR isn't going to search for you until morning, maybe bring it.

Sardawg1

1mo

I leave a photo ID under a map with my route labeled and time lines on my dash or drivers seat. As well as a description of my clothing/gear and a scale drawing of my shoe print with a measurement line so other trackers can set their own size measurements on their tracking poles and my typical gait length in different terrains.

I also give a map and itinerary to a trusted person with a drop dead time of calling for help.

ExtensionBig

1mo

The only thing I would add that I don’t see here is color of your tent/clothing and vehicle license info at what trailhead. Thanks for proactively thinking about this and being more responsible.

OplopanaxHorridus

Coquitlam SAR

1mo

I can't tell you how common your story is. Foragers are some of the hardest searches to do because they have the same habits as you do; they go off trail, they don't tell anyone where they're going, and often they "follow their nose" to find the best items (mushrooms usually, in my area).

Other than leaving a trip plan with the area you're going, you should bring the 10 essentials to spend the night if you have to. Even better is to get a satellite messenger of some sort (inreach, Spot, Zoleo).

Here in BC we regularly have searches for mushroom pickers that end in tragedy.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/search-underway-for-lil-wat-nation-mushroom-pickers-missing-since-thursday-1.5783231

Ruth-Stewart

1mo

Also, thank you for taking the experience you had and actively working to learn from it and improve.

Constant_Bar_5875

1mo

Just buy yourself a PLB. If you ever have an emergency, it’ll send a satellite signal of distress up to the Air Force SAR program, and they will contact the necessary people to send help to your location. They are extremely accurate (up to 50 yards) and send the signal within seconds of activation.

ImportantMud7427

1mo

As others mentioned above, always have a plan and notify people of your plan/times/info.

Also, if you plan on being in the wilderness often, I would personally invest in a device that has satellite service with an SOS beacon. I have an Garmin inReach I use for backpacking/hiking solo, but also use it as a tertiary option in the field in case of an emergency.

innkeeper_77

1mo

Plan for SAR using no communications at all… but then also carry a satellite communicator. I personally carry an inreach AND a recent iPhone- I have personally been involved with more than one satellite iPhone based response in the last few months. I personally think that if you are alone in the wilderness carrying satellite coms is the only right thing to do at this point.

Active communications are so much easier and let us respond with much fewer resources leaving the limited SAR resources still available for other emergencies. Pinpojnt locations are super helpful S well.

[deleted]

1mo

The best thing you can do for yourself is download caltopo on your phone with a charged battery. It allows you to perform mapping functions without internet connection. This is the primary tool to help yourself. The next best thing is mentally plan on packing for beyond sunset.

The two best pieces of information we can get is "where you are going and what you are doing". We generally base our searches from the "Last Known Place". This means that if somebody calls us and gives us a trailhead or a place on the river, we will start our search from that point and begin looking for clues and signs.

"What you are doing" is important because a person can go much farther on a mountain bike than they can when they are walking with fishing gear. People on bikes don't stray from the trail. People with fishing gear tend to be off-trail and near rivers. It helps with the psychology of the search.

Our team has drones with IR capability. We will generally get to the last known point and launch the drones while sending out a hasty search team. The information from the drones provides us immediate feedback of "Where not to search".

Our K9 team and tracker teams will start at the driver side of your car. The K9s will pick up your sent off your door handle. The trackers will be looking around your car for a good footprint. Once they find a fresh track, they will be able to determine your direction of travel.

Once we have a direction of travel, we set up search grids and put the ground-pounders to work.

justanotherperson297

1mo

I will definitely download that map app and remember that. Still though, phones die/get broken/get lost so I want to have a way for people to know that I'm going out/when I should be back in case all else fails.

jimmywilsonsdance

1mo

You will be amazed how much your sense of direction improves with just a bit of work. You will quickly find it hard to get lost. Once you start to think about things like its morning, I’m going to be south of the river and north of the highway, I want to go to the river so put the sun on your right and start walking. You will start doing it without thinking or looking at your map.

sketchyAnalogies

1mo

Navigation my terrain association is a good skill to develop. Maps are great, but if you know the just of landmarks you can usually figure out a vague direction of travel