Saturday, September 26, 2015

John Sain was alone, bow hunting for elk in a remote wilderness of central Idaho when his foot slipped between two downed trees and he fell, breaking his lower leg.

It's the kind of accident that can happen in a heartbeat. But it's also the kind of accident that can end your life.

In Sain's case, the fact that he was alone, with no cell phone or any other means of communication with the outside world, miles from nowhere, and with a badly broken leg almost brought him to the point of ending his own life.

For four days, Sain crawled painfully toward a trail where he hoped someone would find him. But eventually, he got to the point that he almost gave up hope. "It's just the bottom line," he said. "Do I want to suffer or do I just want to get it done with. And at one point, I was reaching for my pistol, asking the Lord for forgiveness."

After thinking about it, Sain gave up on the idea of suicide. Instead, he fashioned a splint out of sticks and strips of ripped cloth. He had a little food, a water filter, and a small survival kit, so he was able to build a fire each night to stay warm.

Each day, he crawled, dragging his mangled leg behind him. On the second day, after crawling three miles, he reached a trail. He scrawled the word "Help" in the dirt, and hoped someone would come along and find him. As luck would have it, some motorcyclists took a wrong turn and ended up on the trail where John Sain lay in agony. One of the riders used a cell phone to call for help, then cut down some trees so a rescue helicopter would be able to land nearby.

Sain ended up in the hospital, where he was treated for hypothermia and dehydration — the conditions commonly listed as "exposure" that kill most casualties of outdoor accidents.

When asked, Sain said that he will hunt alone again, but next time he will take a satellite phone or GPS tracking device so he can call for help if necessary.

Those devices are good to carry, but what if the accident were to render him unconscious so he couldn't use the satellite phone or even press the rescue button on the GPS locator beacon? Here's my advice:

  • Never go into the wilderness alone. Always hunt or fish or hike or whatever with someone else who would be capable of rendering assistance in case of an accident. 
  • Always file a plan with loved ones or trusted friends back home. The plan should include information about where you're going, how long you're going to be there, and when you should be expected to return. That way, if you don't show up on schedule, a rescue effort can be launched. 
  • Carry communication devices appropriate for the location you're going to be in. Cell coverage might not exist, so a sat phone or GPS tracker might save your life. 
  • Always be prepared to stay longer than you think the trip will take. A small stumble can instantly change your plans, extending your stay in the wilds by days or longer. 
  • Prepare for unexpected changes in the weather. Carry overnight shelter even if you think you're only going to be out there for a day hike or single day hunt. 
  • Watch where you put your feet, always expecting that bark might slip off the log you're stepping on, or the rocks might roll beneath your feet. Don't put yourself in a position to become trapped and injured. 

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Deadly Cargo

People are asking me what my new novel Deadly Cargo is all about.

Well, first of all, it’s a modern-day thriller. This is no ponderous tome that puts you to sleep. Deadly Cargo is an absolute page-turner that will keep you excited and wondering what’s going to happen next. The plot is taken right out of today’s headlines, dealing with a terrorist attack on America. My only warning is that once you start reading, you're not going to want to put the book down.

But it’s more than just a book about terrorism. It’s about cultural ideology, philosophy, and eternal perspective. Here, let me give a taste of that — an excerpt from a confrontation between Husam al Din, a jihadist who wants to die in the act of bringing death to Americans, and Josh Adams (an undercover intelligence agent) who tracked down Husam al Din and faces a life and death struggle with him. This is part of that scene:

Husam al Din grinned wickedly, as he circled to the right. “I am ready to die. I have been ready all my life.”

Josh took another step to his right. “That’s the difference between us. To me, life is a gift from God. Something to be protected as a way of honoring him.”

“And to me,” Husam al Din said, “life is a gift to give back to Allah, as I do his work. That is how I will honor him.”


Obvious these two men have different viewpoints about the purpose of life. But the book is about a lot more than just that. It’s about eternal love (there are two romance sub-plots), raging hatred, greed and struggle for power, murder and desperate self-defense. And it's about a family adventure that gets caught up in the deadly chaos.

It’s about good and evil. But best of all, there is no bad language, no sexual scenes, no gratuitous violence and bloodshed except what is necessary to do away with the bad guys. It’s a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat. And the ending will be a surprise.

Here’s a link to Deadly Cargo on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Cargo-Rich-Johns…/…/ref=sr_1_2…

Also available in Kindle version at this link: http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Cargo-Rich-Johnson-ebook/dp/B00X8OWW60

Read it, then post a review on Amazon and please send this to all your friends.