“Always be prepared.”
That is one of the main pieces of advice from Derek Martin, president of the Lethbridge Area Search and Rescue Association (LASARA).
Although the summer is in its final stretch, Alberta offers plenty of outdoor recreational opportunities outside of the season. Martin reminds everyone to be safe on their adventures, wherever and whenever they may take place.
“Never go out in the wilderness alone [but] if you must do that, always tell someone where you’re going and when you plan to be back,” he says.
Martin notes that for his crews, when looking for a missing person, it greatly helps if LASARA volunteers have a starting point for their search.
“That’s why it’s important to let somebody know where you’re going, how long you plan to be there, how you plan to be out and when you’re going to be back,” he says.
“You can be out alone and it’s as simple as a slip-and-fall and you can’t get out from wherever you are,” Martin adds.
“If nobody knows that you’re going missing, you can be there for days before somebody comes by. Even here in the coulees, right in the city, you can fall down a crevasse.”
He says there are many important items to bring with you as you plan your trip.
These include:
- Flashlight, spare batteries and bulbs
- A fire-starting kit – waterproof matches and/or a lighter, fire starter
- Signaling device, such as a whistle or mirror to signal searchers if you are lost
- Extra food and water – one litre per person
- Extra clothing
- First Aid kit
- Emergency shelter, including a tarp and parachute cords
- A knife and/or axe
- Sun protection, including a hat, glasses and sunscreen
Martin adds it is important to bring a cell phone, but a satellite-powered GPS or map can also be valuable. “Don’t rely on a cell phone because even around Lethbridge, there are areas where the cell phone is no good,” he says.
“You should have something so that you’re able to stay overnight if you need to. A small tarp is enough to at least give you a little bit of shelter.”
Martin notes that knowing how to navigate can make a difference to your experience, especially when darkness sets in. If you do find yourself caught in the dark, he says it is important to stay calm and avoid panicking.
“Darkness changes everything. It’s so easy to become disorientated and lost in darkness [and] even in fog, when you can’t see the sun.” He adds if you do get caught in the dark, it is best to hunker down, find or build a shelter until the sun comes back out.
Martin advises adventurers to remember the acronym ‘S.T.O.P.’, which stands for ‘sit, think, observe and plan’. He says having a plan will help you feel calmer in a time of crisis.
If you do get lost, Martin adds, stay where you are. He says individuals who carry on after becoming lost usually get further from roads and trails, making a search more difficult.
Martin notes these safety tips can also apply to driving, especially on logging roads.
“There are roads in every which direction. It would be very easy, particularly if the weather was bad, to get lost out there because one road looks like another.”
Items to avoid bringing on an outdoor trek include alcohol and drugs.
Martin says they can affect clear thinking, coordination and reaction time if caught in a difficult situation, such as encountering wildlife. On that note, he says bear and pepper spray can come in handy, but it is important to know how to use them to avoid injuring oneself or people around you.
SIGNALING FOR HELP
Martin says signaling three of anything, whether that be blowing a whistle, lighting a fire or ringing off a gunshot, is an international sign of distress.
He remarks that if you are using fires to signal for help, make sure they are contained. “We want everybody to be safe and have a great time in the outdoors but just be prepared.”
Martin says having the essentials, even on what seems like a routine trip, can be the difference between life and death.
“A person never expects to get in trouble outdoors. However, all it takes is a turn in the weather, a mistake in judgement, unexpected injury, an equipment failure or sudden nightfall to quickly change a recreational outing into a crisis,” he notes.
“Have fun but be prepared for that eventuality. You could probably go out for years and never need it, but that one time you’ll be glad you thought about those things.”
Martin says further outdoor education is available through the AdventureSmart program, which some LASARA members are trained to provide. The national program offers tips to safely plan out and be prepared for a trek in the wilderness. AdventureSmart also has a trip planning app to help trekkers enjoy their outdoors time safely.
The local search and rescue group is comprised of volunteers and assists with searchers in southern Alberta and as needed, across the entire province.
More information about the Lethbridge and Area Search and Rescue Association is available at the group website.
