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What We Can Learn From the 2 Lost Hikers in Hawaii - Continued
Submitted by: TBC Press
Posted on: 06/10/19
Article - A19-2128
In two separate cases, hikers became lost in the wilds of Maui Hawaii last month (May 2019). Both were 35 years old and each one was in great physical condition. There was even an overlap in the time that the two hikers were missing.
While their exact survival situations were very different, the circumstances for each were similar. One hiker was found alive by rescuers, the other, sadly, was found dead.
TIM MACWELCH from Outdoor Life Magazine takes a look at both cases from a survivalist’s point of view and provides some info on how to stay safe during your own summer adventures.
Prevent Panic
Panic is one of our sneakiest adversaries in an emergency. This all-consuming fear comes from within and it surfaces at the worst possible time. Panic is unrestrained fear, and it may cause us to turn into a quivering pile of goo or take off running at full speed in a random direction (which often ends in physical injury). Fear is natural and it usually keeps us safe, but panic is fear run amok. Eller was able to focus on her yoga practice to control negative emotions like panic and sorrow. Even if you’re not into yoga, you can take a page from Eller’s book. In a situation that’s out of control, focus on something you can control – your breathing. By paying close attention to your breathing, you can lower your pulse and BP, and start to neutralize some of the “fight or flight” chemicals floating through your body. Inhale through your nose slowly for five seconds, hold the breath for five seconds, and then exhale it through your mouth – taking a full five seconds to expel the breath. Think positive thoughts while repeating this breathing exercise, as many times as needed. Try to rationalize your fears while doing the breathing exercise, too.
Get Some Training
In an interview with the media, Amanda Eller’s mother said that the reason Amanda survived so long in the jungle was because of her training. Eller and her friends had all received extensive survival training. She knew how to find safe water to drink, which wild plants were safe to eat, how to find shelter (she used an abandoned boar’s den) and many other vital skills. These skills saved her life. And whether you take a survival class, or just spend some time practicing survival on your own – once you have a skill under your belt, it’s yours forever. At a minimum, I would recommend that you practice shelter building, water procurement, fire building, first aid and signaling for help. Then if you want to go farther, take a local class on wild edible plants or study the plants you’d encounter in your travels. And if you already hunt, trap or fish, practice your existing skills with improvised or homemade gear. Then keep on learning. I think Horace Kephart said it best, “In the school of the woods, there is no graduation day.”
Stock Image - Article courtesy of https://www.outdoorlife.com/
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