GETTING HELP

The above was a list of some of the more common emergencies you might face on a backpacking trip. There are a host of others—everything from abdominal pain to diabetic shock to spinal injuries. All of these take a knowledge of first aid that cannot be encompassed in this book. Taking a first-aid course will introduce you to these problems and teach you how to respond. See the appendix for contact information regarding first-aid related courses.

While talking to a couple of rangers, a friend of ours took a step backwards while saying farewell and stepped off a cliff. The rangers quickly sent for help, but it took a major evacuation effort before she could be reached and her injuries assessed. The two rangers, knowledgeable in wilderness first aid, were forced to make a judgment call on how to handle this outdoor emergency.

I can’t tell you how to evacuate a person who has just fallen off a cliff, but if I had to make that decision, there are a number of questions I would have to consider. How far is help? Is the person still alive? Is there someone around more qualified to deal with the situation? Can the victim be reached? Is the temperature detrimental (too hot or too cold) to the victim? Is the victim breathing or bleeding? And so on.

In emergency situations that require evacuation you will be faced with many choices. But unless you are trained in wilderness rescue, you would be best advised to go for help rather than trying to evacuate the victim yourself. We can’t put it more simply. Never evacuate the victim yourself. Let professionals handle it. If you try to evacuate the victim yourself, you may injure him or her further. And, unfortunately, that means you can be held liable.

Fortunately, most states have developed “Good Samaritan Laws.” Most Good Samaritan Laws required that the person giving aid should not deliberately cause harm to the victim. The person giving aid also must provide the level and type of care expected of a responsible person with the same amount of training and similar circumstances. Finally, before one can give first aid, one must get permission from the injured party, unless that person is unconscious or unresponsive.

If a rescue and evacuation scenario develops, send for help as soon as possible. In the meantime, there are a number of things you can do to make the injured person more comfortable. According to you can:

• Set up a shelter and protect the victim from direct contact with the ground if possible.
• Cover the victim with a shirt, jacket, sweater, etc., to retain body heat.
• Leave or provide food and water.
• Make sure victim is comfortable.

It’s a dangerous world out there, and the Boy Scouts had the right idea when they chose as their motto the succinct “Be prepared.” So, before you head out into the backcountry, be prepared. Or hike with someone who is.