Contributed by Debra McGhan
The Alaska State Troopers respond to dozens of search-and-rescue calls every year. When they do, a call goes out for a mass of resources such as Alaska Mountain Rescue Group, Alaska State Search and Rescue Association, Matanuska-Susitna Borough Rescue Team…or others to assist. It costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to coordinate and execute these rescues and thousands of man hours. Far too often the results end in tragedy, with lives lost because there wasn’t enough time.
People don’t set out on their adventure with the intent of becoming victims who require a search and rescue mission to get home. Often times the unexpected happens and they are suddenly faced with making split-second, life or death decisions.
Grant Pearson, a retired Denali National Park Ranger, was quoted in ‘Humility in the Alaskan Wilderness’ by Daryl Miller as saying, “There are no heroes in the wilderness, only wise people who are prepared and those that are not so wise and unprepared.”
The Alaska State Troopers would like everyone to remember this rule.
Lawrence Agosti and his friends learned this lesson the hard way.
“I’ve been riding in the Kenai area for years and felt like I knew every inch of this place,” said Agosti. “But it all looks different in a storm.”
He prided himself on being a strong rider and one who is generally well prepared. “This day turned out to be pretty humbling,” he said.
He had forgotten to check his supplies, which proved critical later. During the ride one of his friends got separated from the group. When darkness began to close in and it was time to return to the parking lot, he and his riding partner set out to find their missing friend. By the time they finally raised the friend on the radio, and everyone made it to a spot where they could all see, snow was coming down fast and they realized they needed to act quickly. They decided to make shelter and just wait out the night.
“That’s when I discovered just how unprepared we were,” said Agosti. “We had no way to start a fire, no food and we were soaking wet and exhausted. It was the most horrible night of my life. I really thought we were going to die.”
Fortunately for this group, they were young, strong and stayed focused on surviving. Worried friends and family found them the next morning which doesn’t always happen.
When a group of riders, including two Conoco Phillips employees, set out in February 2011 with friends, two of them never made it home. Although this group of veteran riders had explored this area many times before, they found themselves lacking the proper safety equipment. They were caught unprepared when an avalanche buried two people in their party and the remaining riders could not help their friends because they did not have the tools needed to search and dig them out in time.
Being prepared did save Penny and Robert Albright when their four-wheeler got stuck in the mud while on a hunting trip off the Denali Highway. An unexpected storm blew in dropping the temperature and a foot of fresh snow.
“When we saw this storm engulfing us, we quickly abandoned our efforts to get to the lodge and made a shelter instead,” said Penny. “It wasn’t the most comfortable night but we were prepared with a tarp, cook stove, sleeping bags, food and everything we needed to survive.
“We never expected anyone to come rescue us,” she said. “We just made sure if we went, we went prepared. Instead of fighting the storm, we set up camp, hunkered down and were just fine.”
The next day the storm subsided and they emerged from their cozy, makeshift shelter and continued on their way. As they traveled, they passed an area along the trail where several crude crosses were erected.
“It really hit us hard,” Robert said. “We had a good idea what had probably happened to those people. If we didn’t have everything we needed to hunker down, we would have almost certainly died in that storm.”
September is National Emergency Preparedness Month and a great time to get yourself and your family and friends prepared for a host of potential disasters and emergencies.
Whether you are a veteran or new to backcountry travel, there are some important tips to remember that will increase your chance of survival if the unexpected happens.
Whatever you love to do in the Alaska backcountry, make sure you go prepared. Investing a few hours in training can make all the difference for you and your family, maybe not today, but perhaps one day when you need it the most.
Learn more by attending the 14th annual Mat-Su Emergency Preparedness Expo on Saturday, September 24th from 10 am to 3 pm.
This year the Alaska Safe Riders are co-hosting the event and will be on hand along with more than 50 other exhibitors to provide demonstrations and valuable information presented by Iron Dog champions and professional instructors who understand the value and importance of being prepared.
This free annual event is made possible by Mat-Su Borough Emergency Services, Local Emergency Planning Committee, American Red Cross, City of Wasilla, AARP Alaska and Alaska Safe Riders. Find more information at https://ready.matsugov.us/
PHOTO CREDITS:
Avalanche 1 – Photo by Rich Loftin
Rescue – Photo by J Moskowitz
