These two young men were found deceased in the mountains of Southern Colorado after a six-day search. Their vehicle was parked at a trailhead with their packs locked inside. Apparently, the 25-year-old men were overtaken by bad weather and expired due to hypothermia. As the picture illustrates, they seemed to have modern communication equipment and quality gear, yet the harsh elements of mountain hunting ultimately took their lives.
What is Hypothermia?
Some of the most common and hazardous risks to hunters result from exposure to extreme weather conditions. Grizzly bears rarely attack hunters, yet cold temperatures challenge hunter survival almost every day. Hypothermia occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce, resulting in a drop in your core body temperature. Here is what causes this deadly condition:
- Cold, wet conditions, such as rain, snow, sleet, or immersion in water, often induce hypothermia. However, hypothermia can occur at temperatures as high as 50° Fahrenheit.
- Moisture from perspiration, humidity, and dew or rain on bushes and trees can also soak your clothing over time, increasing your risk of hypothermia in cold weather. Wet clothes will draw heat out of your body more rapidly than cold air. Wind lowers your body temperature as it evaporates moisture from your body.
- Resting against cold surfaces will also draw heat from your body.
Prevention of Hypothermia
- Hypothermia can be prevented by dressing appropriately, avoiding potentially dangerous weather conditions, and drying off as quickly as possible when you get wet.
- High-calorie foods, such as chocolate, peanuts, or raisins, provide quick energy that helps your body produce heat.
- Build a fire. One of the best ways to avoid hypothermia is to have the ability to build a fire. I once hunted in West Virginia just after a snowstorm. I was convinced I could retrace my steps back to my vehicle and ignored the direction. When a thick fog rolled in, I started back, but soon found that other hunters had walked over my tracks. Darkness fell, and I tried to build a fire, but even the matchbox would not light. Eventually, I settled against a tree, realizing that I would have to walk back and forth all night to keep from freezing in the 14-degree temperature. Luckily, my friends found my car, began shooting a pistol, and I was able to get a compass bearing and escape.
Symptoms of Hypothermia
- Uncontrolled shivering—usually the first noticeable symptom, but it ceases as hypothermia progresses. If unaddressed, people develop slurred speech, memory loss, and may exhibit irrational behavior like taking off their jacket. Eventually, they become sleepy, unconscious, and die.
Treatment of Hypothermia
- Find shelter for the victim.
- Remove wet clothing and replace it with dry clothing and other protective covering. If there is no dry clothing, use a fire to dry one layer at a time.
- Give warm liquids to rehydrate and rewarm, but never give the victim alcohol to drink. Quick-energy foods also produce inner body heat.
- For mild cases, use fire, blankets, or another person’s body heat to warm the victim.
- In more advanced stages, rewarm the victim slowly by placing one or more persons in body contact with the victim. Place canteens of hot water, insulated with socks or towels, on the groin, armpits, and sides of the neck of the victim.
- A victim at or near unconsciousness must be handled gently and not immersed in a warm bath or exposed to a large fire, which can lead to traumatic shock or death. Immediately contact emergency medical personnel to evacuate the victim to a hospital for treatment.
It is believed that these two young men went out for a short hunt with their survival gear locked in their vehicle. They became trapped by snow and dense fog. We at Bowhunting.net extend our deepest condolences to their families and friends.