Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Out Alive: Lost and Blind - Joshua Prestin

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.    

PRESTIN, J.

Out Alive: Lost and Blind

In-text: (Prestin, 2014)
Bibliography: Prestin, J. (2014). Out Alive: Lost and Blind. [online] Available at: http://www.backpacker.com/survival/survival-stories/out-alive-lost-and-blind/2/ [Accessed 20 Nov. 2014].

No comments:

Post a Comment