Deadly Amoeba

In a survival situation, it is imperative to have access to freshwater to drink. But you can't simply bend down and suck water out of a pond or stream with impunity. There are organisms in the water that are dangerous to human health, the most common of which are giardia and cryptosporidium. 

But it gets worse. Consider the case of 16-year-old Courtney Nash. Two days after she went swimming in the St. Johns River in Mims, Florida, 44 miles east of Orlando, she died of an infection that she contracted from the water in that river. 

Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the killer was a deadly amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri. Brevard County health officials said they believe the parasite entered Courtney's nose while she was swimming, and worked its way to her brain where it caused a lethal infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). 

The disease spreads rapidly, leaving the victim suffering symptoms that include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, loss of the senses of smell and taste, and a stiff neck. In most cases, death occurs within 3 to 7 days. The good news is that the disease cannot be spread from one person to another, because the amoeba itself has to enter the victim's brain in order to do the damage. 

The bad news is that the amoeba is commonly found in lakes and rivers. A health advisory issued by the State of Virginia warns that the amoeba proliferates in stagnant freshwater lakes, ponds, streams and rivers when temperatures climb into the 80s. 

Officials advise safety precautions when swimming:

• Shower with soap before and after the swim
• Be careful not to swallow pool, lake or river water. 

My issue with these precautions is that, if the amoeba gets into your nasal passages, a shower is not going to stop its destructive trek to your brain. The safest course of action is to keep your face out of the water altogether. If you are camping or in a survival situation and want to wash your face, do it with water you have boiled and then allowed to cool. Boiling will kill all organisms in the water, leaving it safe to use for ingestion and hygiene.

If you must cross a body of water where the stated conditions exist, take every precaution to make sure you don't get your face in the water.

Update

The good news is that Jared Ropelato has been found alive and in good health. According to the Daggett County Sheriff's spokesperson, "He had done some hiking, but was in good condition. He told us that when night fell Friday, he made himself a lean-to and settled in for the night."

Nearly 300 people took part in the search before Jared was finally found nearly 5 miles from where he was last seen.

This incident is filled with lessons for us.

• When you realize that you're lost, don't keep hiking in the hope that you'll somehow find your way back to where you want to be. Come to grips with the fact that you're lost. That means you don't know where you are. And that also means you don't know which direction it is to where you want to be. That's the definition of being lost. 
• If you keep hiking, there's a strong likelihood that you're going to move farther away from your intended destination. Jared managed to walk 5 miles farther away from the last place where he was seen. Searchers will begin their search at the LKP (last known position) and work outward from there. If you keep wandering, you might stay one step ahead of the searchers in their expanding grid. That's why it is critical that you STOP and make camp. 
• Another reason not to keep wandering is because you are expending energy and internal fluid supplies that you will need as the survival situation continues. 
• Yet another reason not to keep hiking is because you risk injury the farther you go, especially as your energy begins to diminish and you become dehydrated or hypothermic. 

Jared was lucky. Searchers on ATVs spotted him. Being on vehicles allowed them to search farther afield than would have been possible if they were restricted to foot travel. Had that been the case, Jared might still be out there waiting to be found.

As I mentioned in my previous post, Young Garrett Bardsley was never found.

It happens.

The rules are:

• Stop the minute you suspect you are lost.
• Move to the nearest clearing that will allow you to be seen by distant searchers.
• If there is no clearing, make an emergency camp right where you are. 
• Don't wander off the trail you've been using, or searchers might pass you by without seeing you.
• Start signaling immediately, using a whistle, a mirror, brightly colored items that can be easily seen from a distance. Use anything that creates a visual attraction (motion, color, pattern, contrast), and everything you can think of that makes noise. 
• Don't scream for help — use audible signals that don't wear you out or create panic as you hear your own desperate voice calling for help.
• Create an emergency shelter in a safe spot. 
• Start a controlled fire (you don't want it to get away from you and burn down the forest) and use smoke during the day and the bright flames at night as signals
• Conserve your energy and water supply. Pace yourself so you don't become exhausted or dehydrated. Don't work yourself into a sweat.
• Stay dry and protected from the wind, to avoid hypothermia.
• Take inventory of everything you have with you and think of possible uses for each item as you improvise shelter and other camp implements. 

Lost Boy Scout

Jared Ropelato is missing, somewhere in the heavily forested mountains of northeastern Utah. Jared is a 12-year-old Boy Scout, who was on a campout with his troop when he disappeared during a hike.

This kind of thing has happened before. Back in August 2004, a 12-year-old Scout named Garrett Bardsley went missing in the Uinta Mountains of Utah during a camping trip with his scout troop when his father sent him back to camp after the boy got his pants and shoes wet while fishing. That was the last anyone ever saw of Garrett. In memory of their lost son, the Bardsley family established the Garrett Bardsely Foundation, which helps locate missing children. The Foundation has stepped in to join the search for young Jared Ropelato.

These two cases — Jared Ropelato and Garrett Bardsley are disturbingly similar. Young Scouts out for a dream trip to camp and hike and fish with their buddies, under the supervision of Scout leaders, and in some cases even with the parents along. How, then, can this happen? How can a young man go missing from among a crowd of other boys, and from beneath the watchful eye of adult leaders? That's a question that should disturb us.

But here's the answer — it just happens. It is SOOO easy to get lost! I've interviewed experienced backcountry enthusiasts who have become lost while hiking trails they considered to be virtually in their back yard — familiar trails they had hiked many times before. Then suddenly, they found themselves in an unfamiliar place. Maybe they missed a critical fork in the trail. Maybe they were overtaken by darkness or a storm and lost their way. Maybe they just weren't paying attention. But it happens. CONFESSION: Much as I hate to admit it, it happened to me once!

I feel fairly secure in saying that if you have never been lost, you just haven't spent enough time in the wilderness yet. Or you're living in denial.

It's only a matter of time, so the important issues are:

1. How to try to avoid it
2. How to prepare for it when it does happen

Trying to avoid getting lost consists mostly of maintaining situational awareness.

• Always know where you are in relation to where you want to be.
• Use a detailed topographic map and compass to make sure you're heading the right direction.
• Periodically take a "fix" on topographic features (peaks, bodies of water, etc.) to verify your location on the map.
• Watch your backtrail so you will know what the scene will look like when you are returning on the same trail.
• Mark the trail with brightly colored pieces of survey tape tied to trees or hanging from bushes at eyeball level. Leave the next mark while you can still see the last one. Remove these markings when you leave the area.

Preparing for that inevitable event when you discover that you are lost involves wearing the right kind of clothing and carrying the right kind of gear.

• Top priority when lost is to get found (duh!), so carry signaling equipment so you can call for help. That includes a signal whistle, mirror, cell phone (on the off chance that there is cell coverage in the area), small two-way radio to communicate with others in your party, a GPS personal locator beacon (PLB) or SPOT Satellite Messenger.
• Wear clothing that will help keep you alive if you end up spending the night (or several) awaiting rescue. Merino wool base layer, synthetic fleece insulation layer, windproof and water repellent shell. The jacket should feature a hood, or carry a wool watch cap to cover your head. 
• Carry an emergency shelter — emergency blanket or bivvy, pocket poncho, etc. 
• Have a knife and some lightweight cordage (550 line is ideal), so you can make the structure for an emergency shelter of natural materials in a suitable location (dry ground, as level as possible, away from widowmakers or other threats). Be knowledgeable how to do this. 
• Be equipped to start a fire to be used for warmth as well as signaling.
• When you realize you're lost, stop immediately. Move to open ground where you can establish an emergency camp where you will be seen by searchers. Start signaling efforts. 

Everyone, kids and adults alike, should be well trained and well equipped before taking off for a camping trip, a fishing trip, or a hike in the backcountry.

Hopefully, the news will be positive with regard to Jared Ropelato. Let his experience be the catalyst that moves us in the direction of better preparation, both for ourselves and for those we care about.

Death By Vampire Bat

When I was in Brazil, years ago, I hiked into a remote farm and spotted a sad looking horse standing in the field with blood stains streaming down its neck. When I asked the farmer what had happened to the horse, he said it was vampire bats. Made me involuntarily shudder and look up. Of course there were no bats zeroing in on my neck at the moment because it was broad daylight.

Vampire bats hunt by night. Typically, they will land on or near their prey without disturbing its sleep, then creep to a position that will give them good access to blood flow. With razor-sharp teeth, they slit the skin of their victim and then lap up the blood as it oozes out. In most instances, the raid is so gentle that the victim never is aware of the attack until the next morning when the blood is apparent.

The biggest problem isn't the loss of blood — it's disease. Bats are carriers of rabies, and they can transfer the disease to their victims through the open wounds left by the bites.

Up until now, in the U.S., vampire bats have been nothing more than mysterious characters in horror stories. But the recent death of a Mexican teenager who had migrated to Louisiana to work on a sugar cane plantation has brought a focus on the issue of vampire bats and rabies invading the U.S.  And the speed of the young man's death raised eyebrows at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

According to a CDC report, the victim suffered an especially virulent form of the rabies virus. Normally, the incubation period for rabies is about 85 days, but in this case it was only 15 days. The symptoms progressed from fatigue to shoulder pain, to a drooping left eye, to numbness in the left hand. He developed a respiratory distress and a fever that climbed to 101.1 degrees F. A postmortem test of the victim's brain tissue confirmed a vampire bat variant of rabies.

Of great concern to the CDC is the feared expansion of the vampire bat habitat. The bats are common in parts of Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Mexico, but now appear to be expanding toward the United States. According to a CDC spokesman, "Expansion of vampire bats into the United States likely would lead to increased bat exposures to both humans and animals, and substantially alter rabies virus dynamics and ecology in the southern United States."

A bat attack on a human is not the only way for the rabies to spread. If the bat attacks a dog or cat, or some other domesticated pet or livestock, the rabies virus can eventually be transferred to humans through interaction with the affected animals.

If you think you might have come into contact with a rabid animal, contact your doctor as soon as possible. The symptoms listed above that the Mexican fellow suffered are typical.

Wilderness Meets Urban

Burbank, California isn't where most people would expect to see a wild mountain lion roaming the city streets. But it does happen. In fact, just yesterday evening, residents were placed on alert by city officials because a cougar was spotted wandering around town.

Mountain lions are among the most dangerous predators in the wild, because unlike bears that will respond with an attack when surprised or cornered by humans, a cougar will actually stalk a person until an opportunity arises for a planned attack.

A friend of mine was stalked for 7 miles by a cougar that stayed about 100 yards behind him all the way from the campground until he reached his truck. He kept a wary eye on the lion all the way back to his truck and told me later that he knew that if he ignored the cougar, it would sneak in close and jump him.
I have no doubt of that. It is the pattern for these animals. California statistics kept between 1986 to 1995 listed 9 verified attacks, about one per year in that state alone. Three attacks took place in 1994 alone. The modus operandi for attack is for the cougar to lie in wait, hidden from sight until the victim is close enough. Then the animal leaps on the back of the victim and bites through the back of the neck, severing the spinal column.

An example — On April 23, 1994, Barbara Schoener was killed by a cougar. Since she was alone, there were no eye-witnesses. But the supposition is that she was jogging along a trail and attacked by a cougar that was lying in wait on a ledge above the trail. She was apparently knocked to the ground and evidence is that she fought the animal with bare hands until she was killed. Her body was dragged off the trail and most of it was eaten by the cougar.


To avoid a cougar attack:

• Travel in groups. Cougars are not known to attack groups, preferring to take down solitary individuals. 
• Don't take your pet dog with you into the wilderness. Dogs attract mountain lions, so having one on a leash is like trolling bait through shark-infested waters.

If you are confronted by a cougar:

• Stop. Do not run! Running will trigger an attack.
• Make yourself look bigger by standing tall and holding your jacket above your head. 
• If you have small children with you, put them on your shoulders. That will help make you look larger and also make the kids look less like a convenient meal. 
• If you're alone, attract others to your location, because the cougar likely will not attack when confronted by a group. Yell "cougar" not just "help" to let others know what the situation is. 
• Prepare to defend yourself. Pick up a weapon — rock or stick that can be used as a club. If you have a knife, take it out and prepare to use it. On August 16th, 1994, Robin Winslow used a 12-inch kitchen bread knife to help fight off a cougar that was attacking her friend Kathleen Strehl. During the battle, the cat bit off Troy Winslow's (Robin's husband) thumb, when he grabbed the mountain lion near its mouth. Life can get ragged when you're fighting for your life against a mountain lion. 

Cougars are increasingly coming into urban areas in search of food and water. This often takes place after dark, making raids on food and water dishes left outside for pets. With this most recent sighting in Burbank, city officials again reminded residents to take pet food and water dishes inside at night. And with the cougars boldly prowling neighborhoods, it would also be a good idea to bring the pets indoors after dark. 

Plane Crash

A plane filled with more than 160 people crashed in Guyana this past week, and reports from survivors have brought up some issues we ought to discuss here.

On the news, the footage showing the wrecked airplane were taken in full daylight. But the crash happened at night. The aircraft was crushed and broken in two pieces. The electrical system failed, so there were no lights. Inside the darkness of the fuselage, passengers were confused, terrified, and had no idea where to go to exit the plane.

According to one survivor's report, the man sitting next to the emergency exit door didn't understand how to get the door open.

So, here are my thoughts about this particular situation:

• Pay attention— whenever you board an airplane, memorize where you are sitting in relation to the emergency exits.
• Learn exactly how to operate the emergency exit door mechanism, in case you have to take over for the fellow sitting by the door who doesn't have a clue. 
• Carry a small LED flashlight on your keychain. There are LED lights the size of a nickel that use a button battery, and can be attached to a lanyard around your neck or to your key ring.
• Keep your shoes on during the flight, in case you have to fight your way through debris and then jump to the ground. 

On that last point, when this airplane came to rest in a field adjacent to the runway, no rescuers showed up for a long, long time. Passengers were forced to crawl out onto the wings and then jump 12 feet to the ground. Some suffered broken bones, others were knocked unconscious by the impact with the ground. Those who made it most safely to the ground were:

• Wearing sturdy shoes (no flip-flops or high-heels or other junk that people wear as shoes). 
• They knew how to hit the ground feet first, knees bent, and then tuck and roll to one side to absorb the impact. This is known as a PLF or parachute landing fall. It's a good idea to have this technique in your skill set. 

Heat Index

A hot spell has blanketed some parts of the U.S. for the past couple weeks, and it's become a survival issue for some folks — especially the infirm, the elderly and infants who cannot just get up and move to an air conditioned place.

There's a term called the Heat Index that is tossed around to describe how hot the weather feels. For those not familiar with the heat index, it's a bit like the Wind Chill index used to describe how cold the weather feels under certain conditions.

With the heat index (HI) it's the air temperature and the relative humidity that are combined in an attempt to indicated the "human perceived" equivalent temperature — how hot it feels, not just how hot the thermometer says it is.

A high heat index becomes a survival issue for humans because it thwarts our natural ability to cool ourselves. Normally, humans cool themselves through the evaporation of perspiration. According to the laws of physics, evaporation carries heat away from the body.

But when the heat index is high, that indicates a high relative humidity in addition to the high air temperature. Humidity in the air drastically reduces the evaporation rate, leaving humans unable to cool themselves by that method. You'll work up a sweat, but that moisture on your skin will not evaporate and carry away your excessive body heat. You'll just be hot and wet.

If you don't take measures to counteract the high heat index, eventually, you can fall victim to heat cramps, heat exhaustion and perhaps even deadly heat stroke.

When the heat index is high:

• Stay inside an air conditioned room
• Reduce work load
• Increase water intake
• Take cooling showers or baths