Rangers Find Injured Man Crawling Across Desert Near Bluejohn

[shagdeuce]

From today's NPS morning report:

On Friday, September 9th, rangers in the Island in the Sky District began looking into circumstances surrounding a campsite at the Willow Flat campground, which appeared to be abandoned and unoccupied. The investigation led to a search for Amos Richards, a 64-year-old visitor from North Carolina. Details led staff to believe that he may have been in or around the park's Maze District. A search was begun for Richards two days later. He was spotted from a helicopter around 2 p.m. in the area of Little Blue John Canyon, just outside the park's boundary, and was flown to Moab Regional Hospital, where he was treated for leg fractures, internal injuries, trauma, and dehydration. Further investigation revealed that Richards attempted to hike in and out of Lower Blue John Canyon via the entry/exit route between West and Little Blue John Canyons. He fell approximately 10 feet trying to gain the wash bottom, suffering extensive leg trauma in the process. Richards couldn't bear weight on his right leg, so spend the next four days and three nights crawling across the desert in an attempt to get back to his car. He had no overnight gear, warm clothes or a map, but did have five liters of water and two power bars with him. No one knew where he was or what his plans were. It rained on him several times as he crawled across the desert. Richards is expected to fully recover. Matt Jenkins was IC for the search.
[Submitted by Denny Ziemann, Chief Ranger]

[CarpeyBiggs]

damn! i smell a movie deal!

[Iceaxe]

No one knew where he was or what his plans were.

Wow.... this guy was serious about duplicating the complete Aron Ralston experience.

[shagdeuce]

Wow.... this guy was serious about duplicating the complete Aron Ralston experience.

That is just what I was thinking. Bluejohn is either developing a curse or is becoming a magnet for the illprepared.

[Canyonbug]

Wow.... this guy was serious about duplicating the complete Aron Ralston experience.

LOL!!

I foresee there becoming a lot of restrictions from land managers in this area. I wonder if Rahlston feels any sense of responsibility for the amount of rescues that have ensued this year as a result of the movie.

[Eric Holden]

This sounds like a Joe Simpson/Aron Ralston combo... and both of them got movies deals!

[darthjenni]

He's a failure. He's still got 2 arms :)

[ilipichicuma]

He's a failure. He's still got 2 arms :)

[spinesnaper]

Be nice. It might happen to any of us. I am sure he is a very experienced outdoors man.

Ken

[Iceaxe]

He's a failure. He's still got 2 arms :)

[Deathcricket]

He's a failure. He's still got 2 arms :)

Best comment EVA!

[Jaxx]

Sounds like he had all his bases covered for another EPIC movie. Too bad the leg will survive.

[Sombeech]

damn you guys are harsh

[Don]

Be nice. It might happen to any of us. I am sure he is a very experienced outdoors man.

Ken

Yeah, this thread and the harsh, judgemental community make me never want to screw up anything bigger than forgetting salt and pepper. Even a misplaced beer could be catastrophic to one's canyon-rep.

[spinesnaper]

Yeah, this thread and the harsh, judgemental community make me never want to screw up anything bigger than forgetting salt and pepper. Even a misplaced beer could be catastrophic to one's canyon-rep.

Don

Thanks for coming to my defense. I do mean what I said. On the other hand, I was also being ironical as almost everyone who screws up big time in the backcountry is described as being a "very experienced outdoors man" right after they zip up the body bag.

Being accountable and using that to keep you on your toes is probably not a bad thing. Misplacing beer--that would be a big f-up. I almost did that the first night hiking in Paria this Spring while trying to cool off the beer in the river. Fortunately the bag was weighed down with enough rocks so it didn't get very far.

Ken

[Dr. Nebz]

Not to be harsh or judgmental, but the article states "He was hiking alone, and no one else was aware of his plans or his location."

This is breaking the "golden rule." As did Mr. Ralston. No matter how skilled you think you are, if you are by yourself and sustain a major injury, you are playing with death if you tell no one your plans of where you are going and when you plan to return.

I have a contingency plan every time I go on walkabout solo or not. My wife or mom gets a map, days leaving and day returning, with strict instructions that if I do not contact by a certain time on the day I am supposed to return, to call the local authorities of the area that I am in who can initiate a S&R in a jiffy. This is a good idea because I know if I was injured, and it had past that time of return, mentally I can prepare to sit it out until help arrives. It truly is a mental game to survive in a situation like this, so knowing you will get help lets you overcome the anxiety and focus on the essentials to make it out.

[BruteForce]

"He was inspired" by the other unprepared guy so went out alone and also unprepared.

While I'm glad he survived the ordeal, I have to wonder if he was looking for his 15 minutes of fame.

[canyoncaver]

Get ready to get in line for your Blue John permits.... No chairs or sleeping bags!

[John Peterson]

CNN video interview.

[ratagonia]

Not to be harsh or judgmental, but the article states "He was hiking alone, and no one else was aware of his plans or his location."

This is breaking the "golden rule." As did Mr. Ralston. No matter how skilled you think you are, if you are by yourself and sustain a major injury, you are playing with death if you tell no one your plans of where you are going and when you plan to return.

I have a contingency plan every time I go on walkabout solo or not. My wife or mom gets a map, days leaving and day returning, with strict instructions that if I do not contact by a certain time on the day I am supposed to return, to call the local authorities of the area that I am in who can initiate a S&R in a jiffy. This is a good idea because I know if I was injured, and it had past that time of return, mentally I can prepare to sit it out until help arrives. It truly is a mental game to survive in a situation like this, so knowing you will get help lets you overcome the anxiety and focus on the essentials to make it out.

The golden rule is "Don't Frak up and Die".

Many, MANY people go out by themselves without informing mommy.

I am so happy you have a great backup plan. My backup plan is to take care of myself.

You are always playing with Death. putting various plans in place might make you feel more responsible. I'm not against it, I'm just saying - it is an illusion of safety.

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.

Tom