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stefan
07-19-2006, 07:46 PM
<TABLE border="0", width="500">
<TD align="justify"> 2 hikers die in Utah desert, 1 in S.D.
Wed Jul 19, 7:14 PM ET
Associated Press
link = http://tinyurl.com/mwwno


[size=3] [i][color=darkslateblue]MOAB, Utah - Two people died during separate hiking trips in the rugged southern Utah desert country, one a participant in a wilderness survival course and the other a teenager who got separated from her group in 110-degree heat, officials said.

Another hiker died of apparent heat exhaustion and dehydration in South Dakota's Badlands National Park, the park's chief ranger said.

Near Boulder, Utah, Dave Buschow, 29, died Monday night while taking part in a 28-day survival course offered by the Boulder Outdoor Survival School, Garfield County spokeswoman Becki Bronson said.

Buschow, of River Vale, N.J., was on the second day of the $3,000 course and in a group of 12 with three staff members.

The school said in a statement that Buschow "passed out with no pulse or signs of breathing" a few minutes after he sat down to rest, and that efforts to revive him failed.

Temperatures were in the low 90s in the area, the National Weather Service said.

Bronson said the group hiked all day Monday "with very little food or water." Buschow "was complaining about lack of water and cramping and still given very little water, and it was still hot," she said.

Diane Nagler, a spokeswoman for the school, said that although students are not allowed to carry water bottles, they have access to water along the route.

"They carry a cup," she said. "It's very well planned-out."

The school's Web site says its field courses teach participants how to survive in wilderness with minimal food, water, clothing and gear. "Our goal is to take you from a world of convenience and comfort and put you in a situation where you must go 'just a little bit farther'

Iceaxe
07-19-2006, 07:53 PM
Here is some more info.....

Authorities identify N.J. man who died during survival training
Nate Carlisle and Mark Havnes
The Salt Lake Tribune

Posted: 12:16:23 PM- Police on Wednesday identified the man who died while taking an outdoor survival course in southern Utah.
Dave Buschow, 29, of River Vale, N.J., died Monday night in Cottonwood Wash, about five miles northeast of the town of Boulder, according to the Garfield County Sheriff's Office. Buschow was participating in a 28-day survival course offered by the Boulder Outdoor Survival School.
Garfield County spokeswoman Becki Bronson said Buschow was in a group of 12 with three staff members when he complained of cramping and lack of water.
Temperatures in the area Monday were in the mid-90s.
About 7:30 p.m. Monday, the group was resting near a water source when one of the students noticed the man was quiet, Bronson said.
Buschow was unresponsive when approached and was later pronounced dead at the scene despite efforts by the school's staff to revive him, Bronson said.
Buschow's body has been taken to the state Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.



Boston teen hiker, 16, found dead south of Moab
By Nate Carlisle
The Salt Lake Tribune

A 16-year-old Massachusetts girl died in southeastern Utah on Sunday after becoming separated from her hiking companions.
Elisa D. Santry was on the 16th day of a three-week outdoor course provided by the youth-adventure organization Outward Bound. The organization identified the girl as a South Boston, Mass., resident.
According to a news release issued by Outward Bound, the girl was hiking through heavy brush in Lockhart Canyon, about 15 miles south of Moab. The girl and five other teenagers were trying to reach the Colorado River, where rafts were waiting for them.
Santry was noticed missing about 6 p.m. when the other teens emerged from the brush without her, Outward Bound said. She was found dead about five hours later near where the group entered the brush. According to the San Juan County Sheriff's Office, Santry was in a small side canyon about a quarter mile from the boundary of Canyonlands National Park.
Outward Bound said it was trying to determine if the girl stopped to wait for another hiker who had injured her ankle.
The cause of death is under investigation, but the sheriff's office noted temperatures in the area reached about 110 degrees on Sunday.
Outward Bound President Mickey Freeman said the girl was found with water remaining in her bottle, had passed a medical screening and had no known health problems.
Outward Bound is canceling the remainder of the course, according to a news release form the organization.

Iceaxe
07-20-2006, 07:20 AM
More info.....

Why did two hikers die in Utah desert?
Autopsies pending: N.J. man in survival course carried no water; Boston teen, party got separated
By Christopher Smart
The Salt Lake Tribune

Two East Coast hikers died Sunday and Monday while participating in organized programs under scorching temperatures in southern Utah's redrock country.
The question is why?
Autopsies scheduled for Wednesday may reveal the physical causes of death for Elisa D. Santry, 16, of Boston, and Dave Bushow, 29, of River Vale, N.J.
But other questions will linger.
Why were they hiking in such extreme heat? Had they consumed enough water and electrolytes? Did their guides have experience in recognizing heat exhaustion?
Circumstances surrounding their deaths were ripe for tragedy, according to veteran desert hiker and backpacker Steve Lewis.
"The jump from heat exhaustion to heat stroke can be very quick. I call it the 'silent stalker.' It can grab the most resilient hiker," he said Wednesday. "But an experienced hiker
knows you don't plan hikes for the middle of the day when temperatures are that high."
Santry was on the 16th day of a 22-day Outward Bound "multi-element" course that included hiking, backpacking and rafting. On the day of her death, she was hiking in temperatures of up to 110 degrees in the Lockhart Canyon area near Canyonlands National Park, according to the San Juan County Sheriff's Office.
By contrast, Bushow was on the first day of a 28-day survival course offered by the Boulder Outdoor Survival School. Temperatures were in the mid-to-high 90s as he climbed through the rugged Cottonwood Wash of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. He carried no water.
State regulations for wilderness-therapy programs disallow hiking in temperatures above 90 degrees and demand consumption of at least three quarts of water when temperatures top 80 degrees. But volunteer programs, such as Outward Bound and Boulder Outdoor Survival School, are not regulated, according to Ken Stettler, director of the licensing office for the state Department of Human Services.
Both victims were in areas where heat is reflected off sand and canyon walls, and high temperatures are intensified, Lewis said. If they were unfamiliar with desert hiking, they might not have recognized the peril they were in.
"If you're in sandy or rocky areas, you get the furnace effect," he said. "People who don't have experience [with heat exhaustion] can't relate to what is happening to them. And then, a truck just hits you."
Santry became separated from her party, as the group of six hiked toward rafts waiting for them at the Colorado River, according to Mickey Freeman, Outward Bound Wilderness.
Her colleagues noticed her missing about 6 p.m. Her body was found about 11 p.m. There was water remaining in her bottle.
"We've never had a heat-related death, or a water-dehydration death, in 45 years," Freeman said.
Bushow was at the end of the first day of what is called "impact days," where participants are not allowed to carry food or water, according to Diane Nagler of the Boulder, Colo.- based survival school.
"Although you don't carry food and water with you, the instructor guides you to food and water in nature," she said. Participants "don't carry water bottles, but they do carry cups."
Bushow, who had complained of muscle cramps and fatigue, sat down at 7:30 p.m. to rest and apparently passed out. A few minutes later, his companions could find no pulse.
Survival school guides are certified through the Wilderness Medicine Institute of Nols, Nagler noted. The 10-day, first-responder program extensively covers heat exhaustion, its warning signs and treatment, she said.
Outward Bound instructors receive extensive first-responder training and are always looking for warning signs of heat exhaustion, said Freeman.
Lewis said backcountry hikers and guides must be flexible enough to modify hikes when temperatures soar to the mid-90s.
"The leadership of those groups should have had enough sense to change plans, to get in the shade and stay there. People who don't change plans walk into a trap," he said.
"That's what happens. They roll the dice and people die."


Precautions for hiking in weather above 90 degrees

* Seek protection under a wide-brimmed, ventilated hat.

* Keep body temperature down with lightweight, loose-fitting clothing.

* Wear sunscreen on exposed skin.

* Drink enough water to cause urination.

* Keep electrolytes up by drinking sports drinks.

* Stay in the shade between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

GroundPounder
07-28-2006, 04:56 PM
Add one more essential step while hiking or backpacking in temperatures such as we are experiencing this year. Begin to hydrate yourself at least 12 hours before you start your trip and stay off the carbonated drinks!