What To Do If You Get Lost
{ Stop } { Ground to Air Emergency Signals } { The Uniform Distress Signal }
People react in different ways upon finding themselves lost. Those who are cool and collected usually can look back at it and laugh, those who panic don’t. Panic generally results from fear of the unknown, (lack of confidence, and from not knowing what to do next). When you first realize you are lost or confused, STOP. Don't give into the reaction to keep going for 30, 10, or even 2 more minutes.
Below are ground-to-air emergency signals. They must be as
big as you can make them.
Require Assistance......................................V
Require Medical Assistance..........................X
No or Negative..............................................N
Yes or Affirmative..........................................Y
Proceeding In This Direction...........................^
Since you will have to use whatever materials are available,
you will need to use ingenuity to construct symbols that can be seen from the
air. Green branches on white snow are one example. Stones can also be used on
snow or a green open field. Strips of cloth, bits of wreckage, any way you can
improvise a signal should be used. It is important to know all the codes, but
if you could only make one, use the X
as big as possible.
The uniform distress signal in the woods, (adopted by
The American Alpine
Club), is three quickly repeated signals (audible or visible), repeated at regular
intervals. You may shout, blow a whistle, flash a light, or disclose a fire or smudge on the ground,
or wave something three times quickly. Repeat the signal regularly.
This signal should be used only in case of actual distress.
Any hiker receiving a distress signal is morally bound to go to the rescue; the answer is two signals repeated at regular intervals until you find the victim.
If you lost or broke your compass and you knew what direction you needed (North, South, East ,or West), here are two ways to do it:
Watch Method
(You will need a watch with hands)
Hold your watch flat. Provided you can see the sun point the hour hand at it. Halfway between the hour hand and 12:00, an imaginary line points south. Example: If it is 4:50 p.m. hold your watch so the 4 is pointed at the sun. Now draw an imaninary line half way between 12 and 4, (which is 2). The 2 is true south.
Shadow Stick
Push a stick about 3 ft. long into the ground. In the morning put a small peg at the end of the shadow. Using a string ,with the distance from the stick to the peg as a radius), draw the arc of a circle. In the afternoon mark with another peg where the tip of the shadow hits the the arc. Draw a line between the peg for a West - East line. West is the peg you placed in the morning. Draw a line through your West - East line for North - South.
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