Re: [Paddlewise] Lost person scenario

Lorraine&Dennis wrote:
> 
> About half the people taking the Maine Guide test fail each year.  The
> majority fail trying to solve the "lost person scenario". [snip]
> Example:  You are leading your group [of beginning kayakers]
> through a group of islands.  The wind
> has freshened and due to varying abilities to cope with the conditions the
> group has gotten more spread out than you would like.  While you are trying
> to get your group closer together you make a quick count and notice that
> your are one member short.  You cannot see the person anywhere and there is
> no response to a shouted call or a whistle.  What do you do?

Difficult problem.  Designate the person among the beginners you trust the
most to take charge of the rest of the herd -- and make him/her responsible
for keeping the herd in a relatively sheltered or protected place --
ideally, ashore [see note below].  Charge them with building a fire, and
with maintaining radio communications with you and your assistant leader.

You and asst. leader do a hurried search for the lost person:  one
backtracks along the route just taken for fifteen minutes (and then returns
to base);  the other takes a similar route back, but shades
downwind/current some, likewise for fifteen minutes (and then returns to
base).

If the lost one is not found, send out a Mayday call with particulars.

*If conditions allow,* form the *just* the beginners who seem to have the
skills to permit this into pairs and repeat the previous hasty search
pattern, possibly somewhat enlarged, each duo to keep in sight of adjacent
duos in the search fan.  Ideally, each duo would have a radio.  In any
event, you should take one edge of the fan, and the asst leader the other,
each maintaining radio contact.  Leave beginners who do not have the skills
to do this *on the beach.*

This last part is the riskiest, having the potential to "lose" others, and
would have to be monitored carefully.  If this did not produce the lost
person within half an hour (depending on conditions), the best bet is to
return to the beach, enlarge that fire, and await SAR response (assuming
radio contact with SAR resources was achieved).  

If no SAR response, then the group would have to await better conditions
and search again from the same base.

Not a happy scenario.  Certainly a strong illustration that the asst leader
should have been "bringing up the rear," to prevent it occurring.  Other
preventative measures would include prepping the beginners with materials
and instructions on how to alert others if they become separated from the
main group (flares, mainly).

Note:  if no beach is handy, response would have to be altered
significantly, owing to having no safe harbor for the group to work from. 
The "base" then becomes whatever sheltered spot you established in the
beginning, and a decision time must be identified beyond which the two
searches can not extend -- to allow the remaining group members time to
reach a safe destination.

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR

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