Re: Study: Park Service averages 11 searches per day

SALT LAKE CITY — The ripest recipe for trouble in a national park? Young men hiking on a weekend who make a bad decision or two and end up hurt, exhausted or lost.

On average, 11 search-and-rescue operations are launched in national parks every day. While expenses average around $900, the price can easily jump into the thousands of dollars, according to a new analysis of search-and-rescue operations over 15 years.

Story here.

So you want to bar young men from the parks?

If the average was 11, there must have been some days with a lot more rescues than that. I wonder if they include actions by lifeguards?
Yosemite was 25% of costs but only 10% of rescues (see associated charts).


Heggie's study, published in the latest issue of the journal Wilderness and Environmental Medicine
http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1580/08-WEME-OR-299R.1

Abstract:
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine 20(3):244-249. 2009
doi: 10.1580/08-WEME-OR-299R.1



Dead Men Walking: Search and Rescue in US National Parks
Travis W. Heggie, PhDa,b and Michael E. Amundson, BSa

aFrom the Recreation & Tourism Studies Program (Dr Heggie and Mr Amundson), University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND

bFrom the Great Plains Injury Prevention Research Initiative (Dr Heggie), University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND

Abstract
Objective.—To identify search and rescue (SAR) trends in US National Park Service (NPS) units.

Methods.—A retrospective review of the US National Park Service Annual Search and Rescue Reports from 1992 to 2007 and the SAR statistics for all NPS units in 2005.

Results.—From 1992 to 2007 there were 78488 individuals involved in 65439 SAR incidents. These incidents ended with 2659 fatalities, 24288 ill or injured individuals, and 13212 saves. On average there were 11.2 SAR incidents each day at an average cost of $895 per operation. Total SAR costs from 1992 to 2007 were $58572164. In 2005, 50% of the 2430 SAR operations occurred in just 5 NPS units. Grand Canyon National Park (307) and Gateway National Recreation Area (293) reported the most SAR operations. Yosemite National Park accounted for 25% of the total NPS SAR costs ($1.2 million); Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve ($29310) and Denali National Park and Preserve ($18345) had the highest average SAR costs. Hiking (48%) and boating (21%) were the most common activities requiring SAR assistance. Hiking (22.8%), suicides (12.1%), swimming (10.1%), and boating (10.1%) activities were the most common activities resulting in fatalities.

Conclusions.—Without the presence of NPS personnel responding to SAR incidents, 1 in 5 (20%) of those requesting SAR assistance would be a fatality. Future research and the development of any prevention efforts should focus on the 5 NPS units where 50% of all SAR incidents are occurring.

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

Hmmmm. Suicide was commonly fatal. Hmmm

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Old Dude

Even Marines can be caught unprepared up in the mountains:

http://www.mydesert.com/article/20091016/NEWS01/91016022/1263/UPDATE

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KenS
Even Marines can be caught unprepared up in the mountains:

http://www.mydesert.com/article/20091016/NEWS01/91016022/1263/UPDATE

Well, they were resourceful. I have never heard of using a tram for a rescue. I wonder how the whole situation occured originally.
Probably worse places to be "rescued to" than Palm Springs.

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

suicides are the 2nd leading cause of death in national parks following motor vehicle crashes.

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Pistolpete
suicides are the 2nd leading cause of death in national parks following motor vehicle crashes.

Isn't that what they mean by "Plan Your Visit"

That's probably taking into account all parks but I think in Yosemite the main cause of death is "not reading signage".

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Old Dude



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/2009 11:13PM by mrcondron.

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mrcondron
in Yosemite the main cause of death is "not reading signage".

The "35 MPH" signage?

That and "don't go up the cables if..", " don't go in the water or..", "wet granite is slippery..", "never say 'Hey, watch this!' ". Stuff like that.

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Old Dude

Read the study. It says nothing about banning anyone.

Color me unsurprised. I'm actually surprised the number of rescues is that low....

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AlmostThere
I'm actually surprised the number of rescues is that low....

God protects children, animals, and idiots.

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szalkowski

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AlmostThere
I'm actually surprised the number of rescues is that low....

God protects children, animals, and idiots.

Most of the time!

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bpnjensen

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szalkowski

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AlmostThere
I'm actually surprised the number of rescues is that low....

God protects children, animals, and idiots.

Most of the time!

She can't be everywhere at once.

Besides, even God can be outmaneuvered (see Corollary #7 to Murphy's Law): "Nothing is foolproof... because fools are so ingenious."

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bpnjensen

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szalkowski

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AlmostThere
I'm actually surprised the number of rescues is that low....

God protects children, animals, and idiots.

Most of the time!

s/Most/Too much/