It was 0640 hours when Shees695 & MFF picked me up in Ladysmith for a day of caching in the Trent River area. We all piled into my Geomobile and off we went. The sky was full of stars and such a beautiful distance color. The drive up was great and chatting about our holidays and how we would approch our caching day. We arrived just before 0800 hours and noticed that there was a little snow on the ground, hard crusted and a bit of ice here and there. We got our kit together and set out staying on the trail/road to the east toward the power lines. A very cool morning it was.
The trail had hard crusted snow so the hiking was easy. We had to cross over two stream areas but that was no problem. Until we reached the power lines, there was only 6 caches. We managed to find three and had three DNF's. The ground was frozen where the caches were and it impossible to find them. We decided at the point we would continue but the possiblity of more DNF's was a certainty.
We now reached the power lines, turned east towards the river. The trail was not visible due to snow so we were on our way down to the opening, a flat area to see if we could find the trail.
It was at this point that Sheesh695 hooked her foot on a frozen branch in the snow/ice and bent her foot/leg the wrong way and down she went. She felt that she had broken her foot/ leg or both. As we started to try and help her, it became apparent the we could not move her and that she did break something.
As MFF had some mdical supplies, she lossen her shoe slightly and applied a tenson and hiking spats to the broken area. As she was laying on ice and movement was not possible, we covered her with a emg. blanket.
I called 911, relaying the info and Search and Rescue was alearted to our sisitution. They had our position via my phone and I informed them the quickest and fastest way to our position. This was around 1100 hours. But the info I had given was not relayed properly and SARS were not sure on how the best way was to get to us. They finally called me and almost 2 hours later, they arrived.
During this time, Sheesh695 was getting cold so we took off our jackets and touques to help keep her warm.
Then we started taking turns in cutting cedar branches to cover her up more. Each step we did helped in keeping her warm. We did try to lift her upper body to get some of the branches under her as the ice kept cooling her down.
Several hikers came by but had no supplies and they moved on. By the time the Search and Rescue arrived, we were begining to get a little cold as well but certainly nothing to worry about but would have been a different story if it was later in the day and the sun went down.
At this point, Search & Rescue took over and got her into a streacher and began to warm her up but we still had to wait for a different Quad in order to properly transport her to the Highway for a waiting ambulance. Once it arive about 15 minutes later, they got her in the Quad and we began the walkout as they had to move slower that a walking pace. Over all it took about 3 1/2 hours from the time I called 911.
We followed the ambulance to the Comox hospital and after about an hour she had xrays, drugs (not sure what came first) and it was confirmed that she had a serious break and surgary was required. They decided that they would either send her to Campbell River or Duncan via ambulance so MFF and I began our drive back to Ladysmith.
Now for ther fun part, we were at Qualicum beach turn off when we got a call asking that we come back to get her and bring her home for surgary in the morning, They had put on a plastic type cast, more meds, so we turned around and back to Comox.
She was certainly in good spirts on the way home a but a little mad at having broken some bones.
I guess there are some lessons to learn from this, proper first aid supplies, extra to keep you warm in the cold times. Hiking alone would have been a very serious problem in the snow and cold season. We were lucky that we had cell reception other wise one of would have had to go for help once we got her stable and warm. But in the end, all is good for now and I will inform you of her results once I know.
Safe caching. Geocaching My Way of Life Paulboy
