Once again, hypothermia kills stranded Oregon driver

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Once again, hypothermia kills stranded Oregon driver

Hypothermia killed stranded Oregon man
KGW.com
Monday, April 21, 2008

The Associated Press
MYRTLE CREEK, OR - Hypothermia and exposure killed a Myrtle Creek man found dead last week after hiking for help when a car got stuck in the snow, an autopsy revealed.

Kenneth Walton, 52, who had muscular dystrophy and used a cane, was found one to two miles from where the car got stranded on Johnnie Springs Road, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said.

Walton and Debra Jean Smith, who had recently started dating, were headed to Myrtle
Creek from Canyonville, where the two had breakfast April 13.

In an interview with the News-Review newspaper of Roseburg, Smith said they spent several hours trying to get the car unstuck before Walton opted to find help.

Smith, 46, said she didn't want Walton to go alone, but she had twisted her ankle and couldn't walk too far.

"He probably wouldn't have let me (go) anyway," she said. "He was that kind of person."

As darkness fell that first night, she began to worry. She nibbled on the breakfast the pair had brought from the restaurant, taking only two bites at a time to stretch the leftover omelet, hash browns, sausage patty and toast.

After two nights lodged in a snow drift, Smith said she knew in her heart that Walton's attempt to hike out of the area had ended tragically.

She got the car to move Tuesday and beeped the horn all the way down the mountain, hoping Walton might hear it.

"I was terrified I was going to find him in the road," Smith said from her home in Springfield.

A few miles later, Smith came to a house and stopped for help. She reported Walton missing to authorities, while the homeowner began a search.

Smith has heard the tragic stories of those who get stuck in the wilderness with no supplies. She said she'll never again head into the woods without extra water, blankets, a flashlight and other supplies, and she hopes others learn from her experience.

"I don't know how much I can ever stress that to people now."

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_042108_news_missing_man_snow.86a51498.html

Here is the rest of the story:
Sadly, the consistent theme for the adventurous automobile driver strandings in snow in Oregon with a bad outcome, is the failure to have told a Responsible Person where you are going, what you plan to do and when you plan to return. The Responsible Person must agree to call 911 if you do not check in. No one was looking for these people.

The second sad theme for the adventurous automobile driver strandings in snow in Oregon with a bad outcome is the failure to stay with the car until found or until the Oregon weather allows the snow to melt a bit and the car to be driven away.

No mention is made of whether a common cell phone might have linked to a cell tower.

Sadly, the subtle opportunity to educate the public is almost always missed in the typical press release. --Webmeister Speik

A suggested minimum standard news advisory for all backcountry travelers

"We would like to take this opportunity to ask our visitors to the backcountry of Oregon to plan for the unexpected. Each person should dress for the forecast weather and take minimum extra clothing protection from a drop in temperature and possible rain or snow storm or an unexpected cold wet night out, insulation from the wet ground or snow, high carbohydrate snacks, two quarts of water or Gatorade, a map and compass and optional inexpensive GPS and the skills to use them, and a charged cell phone and inexpensive walkie-talkie radios. Carry the traditional personal "Ten Essentials Systems" in a day pack sized for the season and the forecast weather.

Visitors are reminded to tell a Responsible Person where they are going, where they plan to park, when they will be back and to make sure that person understands that they are relied upon to call 911 at a certain time if the backcountry traveler has not returned. If you become lost or stranded, mark your location and stay still or move around your marked location to stay warm. Do not try to find your way until you are exhausted, or worse yet - wet. Wait for rescuers.

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TraditionalMountaineering is founded on the premise that "He who knows naught, knows not that he knows naught", that exploring the hills and summitting peaks have dangers that are hidden to the un-informed and that these inherent risks can be in part, identified and mitigated by mentoring: information, training, wonderful gear, and knowledge gained through the experiences of others.

The value of TraditionalMountaineering to our Friends and Subscribers is the selectivity of the information we provide, and its relevance to introducing folks to informed hiking on the trail, exploring off the trail, mountain travel and Leave-no-Trace light-weight bivy and backpacking, technical travel over steep snow, rock and ice, technical glacier travel and a little technical rock climbing on the way to the summit. Whatever your capabilities and interests, there is a place for everyone in traditional alpine mountaineering.

WARNING - *DISCLAIMER!*
Mountain climbing has inherent dangers that can, only in part, be mitigated

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