Possumblog

I hope this means good news.

Just got a CNN email news update: "Radio traffic from the scene indicates a 12-year-old Boy Scout missing since Saturday in the North Carolina forest has been found alive, National Park Service spokeswoman Tina White said." (Additional story from WRAL, via Jim Smith.)

As I'm sure it has with other folks, this story has weighed heavily on me, and I have been praying they could find this kid unharmed.

(And not to be mean, but I have a feeling that his reported ADHD won't ever make him wander away again.)

Update commentary below.

And for what it's worth, whether you're a Scout or not, some basic rules for when you're in the woods.

1. Always have with you a signaling device such as a whistle or a communication device such as a radio, walkie-talkie, or cell phone.

2. Dress appropriately for the area.

3. Do not wander off by yourself. Always have a buddy with you.

4. Stay on marked trails.

5. If you become lost, STOP. (Sit, think, observe, plan) Do not continue to walk around trying to find your way back. Doing so causes you to expend more energy, and you could possibly become injured. Stay calm, make sure the area you are in is relatively safe, make sure there is a place you can find shelter, and begin to periodically signal your location or try to contact someone with your phone or radio.

Additional information geared to kids from the US Search and Rescue Task Force, and for more advanced hikers and hunters from Connecticut Valley Arms (Article one, two, three, four, and five)

Posted by Terry Oglesby at March 20, 2007 10:36 AM