Rating ****
This article explains the survival story of experienced
Southwest night hiker, David Snider.
David spent five days lost and wandering through Washington’s Olympic Range
in 2012. Not only did he lose his bearings
but he also lost his sight, forced to traipse blind and cold relying only on
his other senses to keep him alive.
David Snider, age 57, was definitely not counting on facing
such misfortune when he decided to go on a night hike. This article explains the struggle David
faced once he realized he was lost. He
decided to back track like he knew how to, however, that plan fell short when a
tree branch knocked his glasses off his face.
David is legally blind without them and could only see a kaleidoscope of
colours. After hours of touching the
trees and rocks around him, he accepted that his glasses were gone. He decided there was nothing he could do but
try to back track knowing that his girlfriend would eventually realize he was
missing. David experienced many
hallucinations during this trip, always believing he saw a man or a chalet in
the distance. He heard helicopters above
him though many did not see him. He
eventually made it to an open field on the fourth night and used his flashlight
to signal the helicopter above him.
This article ties in well with our survival unit
in class. Survival is both physically and
very much mentally tiresome. Giving up
is something most survivors feel at one point in their adventure. David decided to write a letter to his
girlfriend to say goodbye. Once a person
gets past that stage, the will to live or the fear of dying is the only thing
pushing them to keep going. This incident
could have been prevented in my opinion if he came prepared with a spare pair
of glasses. I will make sure I
definitely think of everything I need before I go on an adventure such as this
one.
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