The Time I Had to Call Search and Rescue
A snowshoe trip to Brew Lake that turned into a 1am finish, and the internet safety advice that could get someone killed.
A little #thorgoesoutside throwback post because it's one I never shared here, it's the only time I've ever had to call @northshorerescue / @ssarteam and because people keep sending me / sharing this "change your voicemail omg so smrt" post that's going to get someone killed... Story time:
About a year ago we set out on a little snow shoe adventure... The goal was Brew Lake Hut for the night. There had been the first big dump of snow that week, and the access bridge we'd planned to utilize had been taken out.... If we were smart we would have scrapped the trip - because you can't beat mother nature - but we hadn't learned that lesson yet so instead we audibled to take an alternate route up.
We hit the road at 5am... 2+ feet of fresh snow had us moving MUCH slower than planned, and at about 4pm as the sun was about to start setting we realized we may not make our objective before dark... And so instead of continuing for <1 hour up in the dark & unknown, we opted for the 5+ hour return the way we came.
At this point I called 911 (which is how you get Search and Rescue). We weren't in any trouble, as we had the gear & good to spend the night if needed... but we wanted to let them know our situation and decision, just in case.
The second I connected with them my phone showed an alert that it was in "emergency mode" - all notifications had been unblocked and my location was being pinged back to emergency services. The SARs team was very relieved to hear how prepared we were (including always having a spare battery pack for my phone). They called us every hour just to check in, and then had someone meet us at the trail head when we finally got back to the car, at almost 1am.
Moral of the story? KISS. Listen to the pros... not the internet
Do NOT use apps like my3words - learn to get the GPS coordinates via your phone so the SAR team doesn't have to download an app to find you.
Do NOT waste your battery calling anyone other than 911, period and this includes voicemail. Emergency calls utilize any cell tower (not just your provider) and allow them to track your location.
Do NOT go into the mountains unprepared - checkout @bcadvsmart for more info.
