Recently, my almost 11-year-old son and I were subjects #1 and #2 in a live scenario for SAREX (Search and Rescue exercise) to help the search and rescue community develop rescue operation, test alerting and notification systems, and cross-train in rescue procedures and techniques in the event of a large-scale search and rescue operation.
Our story line was:
My son and I decided to hike along the local train tracks. While eating lunch at a grassy area just past the first trestle at the beautiful falls at Beaver Falls, we were joined by three other friends (subjects #3, #4, and #5). They walked with us for a while. Near one of the trestles they announced that they were going to cross the creek and walk up an old road to the highway in Beaver Falls. They assured us it was safe, as they had done it before. We parted company after agreeing to join them for a BBQ in Beaver Falls.
Further down the tracks, a mother black bear and two cubs confronted us. When my son and I yelled and waved our arms, they started towards us. We fled into the woods (with my son ‘dropping’ a ‘clue’ ball cap between the 5th and 6th trestle) and stayed there because we could “hear something”. (I was supposed to be afraid of bears.) Close to dark we decided to venture out. It was then that my son fell and hurt his ankle enough that he was unable to walk. So we spent the night, and for some reason my cell phone didn’t work.
The female friend, who dropped my son and I off the day before for the hike, notified the police that my car was still at the same location the following day (and my husband and daughter were out of town), and the search commenced.
Since my son and I had ‘fled’ 55 meters down a steep ravine (and believe me it was VERY steep) and my son couldn’t walk because of his injury, when the rescuers located us (they found the ball cap and we heard them hollering our names and responded) the SAR Techs had to use ropes and a stretcher to evacuate my son. I was subsequently hauled out with the help of a rope harness and was supposed to be incoherent at times, calm others, and obviously a wreck after what I had gone through (try spending the night in the forest…unprepared…with bears wandering around!). By the way, I found out after we were ‘rescued’ that there actually WAS a bear wandering the trestle area above us not more than a half hour before we were rescued—the SAR techs had seen it! Yikes!
Anyway, I asked our rescuers how they knew we were missing and who called the RCMP, and showed concern when I found out it wasn’t the people I was supposed to have supper with: “They didn’t call?? That’s not like them!! Something must have happened!! Have the police check!!” –And then the search was on to find them!
In another Blog I’ll share their scenario and how the days events wrapped up with a helicopter rescue after someone ‘fell’ over a 40-meter cliff (and survived).
By the way, our local paper highlighted SAREX 2008 with an article and photo spread, by John Piccolo, on two subsequent days—what a great way to generate public awareness about the importance of search and rescue!
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
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