Back country bang-ups and rescues!

[Alberta_huntress_83]

Have you ever been out in the woods and either solo or with someone and had an accident or injury and you were far from help? What did you do? How did it turn out?

What's some of your "near-misses" or close calls...ever had someone shoot at you? Ever helped someone who you came across? I ask only because I always seem to find trouble and its soooo easy to get into, but so hard to get out of LOL!

Sometimes the greatest blessing is a stranger in a strange place you least expect to see someone. Have you got an angel on your shoulder? Tell us about your rescues!

[Alberta_huntress_83]

It was mid-August 2012, I had been scouting for weeks where I wanted to cut in my new hunting camp for the season. I found the spot I wanted and went out and bucked and stacked a bunch of wood for the following weekend.

Drove out the following thrusday night, in my little puddle jumper car and set up my pup tent with my dog next to me. There was much "housework" to be done clearing and levelling the camp, tons of deadfall, pecker poles and brush to clear. Come about 10pm I had a massive fire going and was just getting ready to hit the sack...when I just saw this ONE single peckerpole that was bugging me....it was only about 2-3" in diameter and I'd already cleared a dozen within the vicinity. Only by this time it was dark....

Little did I need the tree down at 10pm, nor did I need the wood...I stupidly figured I'd just PUSH the tree over. Like I had done to several other ones already. They're dead right to the top, no biggie. Now WHY I couldn't have just gone to bed instead of take on this 30' tree ill never fully know. I just gave her a good shake to see how sturdy she was and it just felt "weird". I looked up at that exact moment only to have the tip of the tree hit me in the face and before I knew it the lights were going out, tunnel vision set in and I saw stars. Next thing I'm waking up to my dog licking me on the ground and and I can't see out of my left eye. At all.

I'm 12km up the Swan Lake Road, and 1km down a path that I barely made it in with my car in the daylight. I run to my first aid kid and grab an abdo pad and some ice and cover my left side of my face. There's blood when I pull it away and I literally can't see a thing from my eye. I'm scared. I have no cell service. No one knows where I am, there's no weekends warriors in the near by vicinity. I know I have to get help.

So I grab my dog and more ice and get in my car. Its really painful and I can barely see ut of my remaining good eye from the tears. I put my car in drive, and don't even use the gas....I crawl that little car back out to the logging road and slowly made it down to the 5km marker of SLR. I see a camp fire. Thank GOD! A bunch of trailers...its now taken me close to 30min to make it 8km I had to drive so slow.

I pull in and its now almost 11pm. I flash my lights for someone to come over and explain what happened. I don't think they believed me. "What do you mean you're alone? There's someone back at your camp though, right?" NOOO for the 5th time I'm alone and I need help. I still have no cell service and I'm hoping someone who isn't on the rogers network has service there. Finally I'm able to call someone in Calgary to come up to take me to the hospital. I'm scared I'm going to lose my eye.

They bring a chair over by my car and I have to sit in the dark away from them and their family. Either folks from Red Deer don't understand back country camping, but they wouldn't take me to a hospital or even let me sit at their fire til one of the wives felt so bad for me and brought me near their fire. Then they wanted to go to bed, so they told me to wait back at my own camp til help arrived. So I got back in my car and crawled her back to my camp and waited for help in my tent. I fell asleep....

Around 130am my friend shows up and takes me to Rocky Mtn House hospital. There wasn't even a doctor on, so they called one in. He was scared when he saw my eye and looked in it. He sent me to red deer, who sent me to rockyview general in calgary.

The impact of the widow maker ruptured the main artery to my eye in 2 places and I had a big bleed (hematoma) behind my retina. I was off work for almost 2 months, and still never got my eye sight back in that eye. Thankfully it was not my scope eye. Missed all the early season as I couldn't do anything that may cause further bleeding (ie bouncing, shooting, head below my shoulders). I was pretty upset...

Later I found out, that even if you DON'T HAVE CELL SERVICE, you can still dial 911??? I haven't tested this but I'm really curious. I wish I had known that and saved a lot of time and maybe more of my eye sight.

I thank those ppl tho let me use their phone for help, but really wish they had taken it a step further and taken me to the hospital sooner. It was scary but glad its over!

Needless to say my family and friends don't want me going solo in the bush anymore but that only lasted as long as my recovery. Spent most the season at my camp alone lol. Without injury thank goodness.

Since I left my car at camp, my friends came back to pack up my gear while I layed in recovery in Calgary. There was a Lynx in the camp eating the chicken backs I had for my dog! I was hoping to get a glimpse of him myself but not yet. I did however have a Mink in my camp I fed peanut butter and bagels too every night though and the Mink played with my dogs from the tree. He let me get so close to him!

Anyhoo, that's my crash of 2012 lol. Lesson in all of this: Watch out for widow makers!!!! LOL 



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[AxeMan]

I was on the rescuing end of things one time.  Back in the late eighties we were heading into a fairly remote creek to do some grayling fishing.  At one fairly deep creek crossing with steep banks we caught up with two strangers on quads.  The first guy made it accross fine and took off down the trail.  Didn't even wait up for his buddy and see that he made it okay.    The second guy tried the crossing and was definitely more inexperienced and flipped over backwards on the far bank pinning him under the quad and completely under water.

Me and my buddy saw it happen from about 40 yards away and rushed in and got the quad off of him.  He was definitely drowning and another few seconds would have been lights out for him.  He was coughing up muskeg water.  We got soaked to the neck but felt pretty good about saving this young guys life.

[Alberta_huntress_83]

WOW! Good for you guys!!!! Thank goodness you guys were there....angels....

[Alberta_huntress_83]

There was another time about 8yrs ago when I was going through the ice caves in summertime, and we were only 3 or 4 caves deep when we came across a mother and son who's flashlights had both burnt out. They were huddled up on a rock freezing when we came through. Its so black and slippery in there they would have never made it out if someone didn't come along and give them a light. Right time at the right place I like happy endings!!!

[sheepguide]

In the mid 90s I was opening up a hunting camp in NE BC for an outfitter. We had everything in order and we were hauling firewood on a packhorse from above the cabin. We only had two horses so I let the other guide ride the one we had a riding saddle on to lead the load down the hill and after every load I'd ride the pack horse back up the hill.
This went on good for about 10 loads when the packhorse envision being a saddle bronc horse instead and proceeded to buck. Well being stuck behind the pack saddle I was getting some good air so I gripped with my heals to stay on but sitting back there hooking my feet in his flanks made him buck even harder. I was actually riding pretty good but knew I wasn't staying much longer so I started looking ahead in the bush for a place to bail.
I noticed a small opening ahead on the right side of the trail. I lined it up and jumped for it but new my departure was late. I flew horizontal threw the air lining up a tree perfect with my rib cage.
  I stood up and the other guide came up with my horse and asked if I was ok. Well if I could have talked my lungs into taking air I would have said #%$&@ NO!!!! Then once my air started coming back I started getting weak. Don got me up on the saddle horse and started leading me back to the cabin. I kept feeling like fainting but kept just concentrating on where the saddle horn was so I could stay centered and upright.
  Once at the cabin I crawled into my bunk and stayed there until the next morning. I was hurting bad and with no communication to anyone and no one expecting us for a while we decided to head to another camp 4hrs away via horses. Don got them both saddled with our riding gear and helped me up. Well that sucked big time. I felt every sted that horse took and when we went down hills I had to get off and go down then get back in as I couldn't hold myself in the saddle when tipped forward. After 6 or 7 hrs we made it to the next camp and were so happy to see that plane sitting there. We got to the cabin and the outfitter was there and we told him the scenario!
 We then got over to the plane which was a 2 seat Aviat Husky which is basically a supped up Super Cub. It took both of them to load me in the plane. We then took off which was rougher than the dam horse and headed the few hrs for a hospital. Part way we landed beside the Alaska highway and fueled up and away we went landing in FT. Nelson. Where it was then determined I had 3 broken ribs and a bruised lung that they figured had partially collapsed. So they wrapped the ribs ANC back to the plane we went.
  Was a close call I guess and sure makes Sat. Phones something I'll never be without.
 After a couple days off I was back climbing and guiding for Stone Ram ms but was moving at a pretty slow pace that first hunt. 

[Alberta_huntress_83]

Ouch!!! I can only imagine how painful that must have been glad you got out and to safety ok. What a journey! But hey, what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger! Sat phones...that's a good idea.

Has anyone had any experience with SPOT devices? They apparently have check-in options, and 2 different help options. One to dispatch your own predetermined help, and one for dispatching rescue crews....

I bought one for the ex but he was insulted that I felt he needed that and refused to use it. So it sits in the truck....

[jboutdoors5]

Joel has a spot device. Every once in awhile I get an email that he is ok. I think that would be good to have if you continue to camp alone. No idea on coverage for them though

[jboutdoors5]

I seriously can't believe those campers didn't help you more!! That is brutal! Then they made you leave?? Unbelievable.

Darcy, that would have been hellish to say the least!

Wow, Axeman, you definitely were that guys angel that day. Bet his friend felt stupid for taking off after he learned what happened.

[sheepguide]

Been using a SPOT since 2007. My spot is on my pack 24/7 when I'm in the bush as well as the dash of my truck in many places and is always on the tracking feature as that way if I can't press the 911 or help button they can basically pinpoint my location. A SPOT with the tracking feature is only good if your capable of operating it to get yourself help. If your unconscious then can only place you at your last check in point.

I've used it in basically all of Alberta, BC and the southern Yukon with no issues or missed check ins.

[JIMMY 808]

Been using a SPOT since 2007. My spot is on my pack 24/7 when I'm in the bush as well as the dash of my truck in many places and is always on the tracking feature as that way if I can't press the 911 or help button they can basically pinpoint my location. A SPOT with the tracking feature is only good if your capable of operating it to get yourself help. If your unconscious then can only place you at your last check in point.

I've used it in basically all of Alberta, BC and the southern Yukon with no issues or missed check ins.

Delorme in reach was in the stocking this year works well and I may also rent a sat phone when needed wife is somewhat attached to the children for some reason.   

[Alberta_huntress_83]

I'm going to pick up a SPOT device then before my next outing. Seems priceless peace of mind for your loved ones.

Nice to hear others have had successes with it. Its about $120/yr right for coverage???

[Speckle55]

Wow Huntress_83 your one tough lady.. i lost a friend in the bush out here to the Widow Maker he was a faller and had done that for 35 plus years .. there is his cross on the mill cut where it happen i have tears every time i pass that way.. i was a scaler when i was 18 for the mill and worked with him.. the worst for me would be hooks on hands/fingers i just cut them out as going back to get them cut out is not a option and the plyiers work after a cut or too.. had too carry out peoples gear afew time though as they twisted ankles or knees and we took allot longer coming out.. laid my MX motor bike down acouple time's and lay there for a hour too get myself together to limp home (concussion type) when hunting

David :-}

[Alberta_huntress_83]

Sorry about your friend, David

Thanks for sharing your story.

E