Search and Rescue
http://www.ehow.com/how_136380_conduct-search-rescue.html
Step1
Assemble the rest of the group to discuss the situation and collect information. What was the
intended destination of the missing person? How physically fit is he? What equipment was he
carrying? A fit person with proper boots and clothing is likely to travel farther than someone who's
out of shape and ill equipped.
Step2
Assign duties to the team based on skills and available equipment. If you have three walkietalkies, for example, try to send out two searchers while keeping one walkie-talkie and team
member at base camp. One person needs to stay at base camp, regardless of available
equipment, in case the lost party returns.
Step3
Study an area map and review likely travel routes, such as trails, streams and ridgetops. The
missing party's personal interests will offer clues. Rock climbers may head for cliffs; bird watchers
may seek out wetlands or overlooks.
Step4
Equip each search team with a walkie-talkie, a topographic map and a global positioning system
(GPS) unit. This gear allows for a constant flow of information between searchers and base
camp.
Step5
Restrict the search teams to small, well-defined areas if walkietalkies and GPSs are not available.
Assign each team to an area; each should cross that area while calling for the victim and looking
for tracks, then return to base. Repeat as needed.
Step6
Evaluate how much time and effort is needed to get outside help. If nobody locates the missing
friend in several hours, it is probably a good idea to shift your efforts to contacting searchandrescue authorities. A 911 dispatcher can initiate search operations. Provide the GPS fix of
your base camp, if you have it.
Step7
Make preparations for evacuating an injured person. Check your map for possible helicopter
landing sites (solid, level ground with no trees). Notify pilots of power lines, tall poles or anything
else that is hard to spot from above.
Step8
Observe standard first aid techniques when evacuating an injured person. If a neck or back injury
is suspected, move the victim only as a last resort if medical help cannot be brought to the site.
Make sure an unconscious person is breathing and has clear airways and a stable heart rate. If
the breathing and heart rate are not stable, perform CPR. Keep the victim warm and off the
ground if possible. Warm up a hypothermic person immediately with extra clothing, hot drinks, a
fire and close contact with another person.
Tips & Warnings
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The first rule of search and rescue is, don't make things worse. Don't send searchers into
dangerous areas or allow them to race off and get lost themselves.
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Educate your group ahead of time about the dangers of getting lost. Encourage people to
note their surroundings at all times and to carry proper gear, including food and water. If
anyone does get lost, they should stay where they are rather than wander continuously.
See 474 Survive Being Lost.
Do not rub frostbitten extremities with snow.
Maps, compasses and GPS devices require practice. Become familiar with these tools
and practice on several test runs before you set out on a wilderness adventure.
How to rescue a drowning person
Step1
Determine which of the following methods to use, depending on circumstances.
Step2
Get a long stick or pole and reach it toward the drowning person. Tell him to grab it and pull him
to safety.
Step3
Throw the drowning person an object attached to a rope and pull him to safety.
Step4
Row out to the drowning person and use one of the above two methods.
Step5
Get in the water yourself and swim to the drowning person only as a last resort and only if you're
trained as a lifeguard. Realize that you're risking your life in doing this.
Step6
Talk to the person as you approach and tell him you'll be taking him back to shore. Even if he's
panicking, your voice might help to calm him down.
Step7
Try to approach the person from behind and hook your arm over his chest as you sidestroke back
to shore. If possible, tell the person to relax and float on his back.
Step8
Treat the drowning victim once he's safely in a boat or on shore (see "How to Treat a Person
Who Is Near Drowning").
Tips & Warnings
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When pulling a drowning person to safety from land or from a boat, make sure you're
firmly anchored and won't be pulled into the water.
One way to remember your rescue options is the following mnemonic: "Reach, throw, row
and go."
Drowning people are often full of panic and can drag rescuers down with them. Do
everything in your power to avoid this danger.
How to Provide Rescue Breathing for an Adult During First
Aid
Initial Assessment
Step1
Determine whether the surrounding scene is safe. (See "How to Maximize the Safety of an
Emergency Scene During First Aid.")
Step2
Determine whether the injured person is breathing. (See "How to Check Airway,
Breathing and Circulation.")
Step3
Position the injured person on his or her back, being extremely careful not to move or twist the
head, neck or spine. If several rescuers are present, use their assistance to minimize this danger.
(For a related technique, see "How to Logroll an Injured Person During First Aid.") If not, continue
with the steps below.
Step4
Maintain an open airway while you pinch the injured person's nose shut.
Step5
Give two long, slow breaths, being sure to maintain a seal between your mouth
and his or hers.
Rescue Breathing
Step1
Check again for breathing and pulse (see "How to Check Airway, Breathing and Circulation").
Step2
Give one slow breath every five seconds for 12 breaths, if the person is still not breathing but has
a pulse.
Step3
Repeat the steps in this section until help arrives, until the injured person begins breathing again,
or until you are too exhausted to continue.
Tips & Warnings
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Use latex gloves and a breathing mask to prevent infection or transmission of disease.
If breaths do not go in, retilt the head and try again. If breaths still do not go in, the airway
may be obstructed (see "How to Clear an Obstructed Airway").
If you suspect a spinal injury (see "How to Rule out a Spinal Cord Injury During First
Aid"), do not tilt the chin to open the airway. Instead, with one hand on each side of the
head, and facing the injured person's toes, put your index and third fingers in front of the
earlobes and push the jaw forward and up.
If this method doesn't open the airway, revert to the chin-tilt method: The injured person's
most drastic need is for oxygen.
If the person has a severe injury to the mouth, give breaths through the nose while
keeping the injured person's mouth sealed shut.
If the injured person vomits, turn the person onto his or her side - extremely carefully if
you suspect a spinal injury - and wipe out the mouth. Return the person to the supine
position and continue rescue breathing.
If symptoms persist or if you have specific medical conditions or concerns, we
recommend you contact a physician. This information is not intended as a substitute for
professional medical advice or treatment.
How to Conduct a Primary Survey of an Injured Person During First Aid
1Put on latex gloves to prevent infection or transmission of disease.
Step2
Check airway, breathing and circulation. (See "How to Check Airway, Breathing and Circulation.")
Step3
Begin rescue breathing if the injured person is not breathing, but has a pulse. (See "How to
Perform Rescue Breathing.")
Step4
Begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation if the injured person has no pulse. (See "How to Perform
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).")
Step5
Treat severe bleeding if the injured person is breathing and has a pulse. (See "How to Treat
Severe Bleeding.")
Step6
Immobilize the neck by holding the head firmly, with one hand on each side of the head, and
allowing no motion.
Step7
Release the head only after you have determined that there is no spinal injury. (See "How to Rule
out a Spinal Cord Injury.")
Tips & Warnings
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If there is more than one rescuer, have someone else immobilize the head while you
carry out the rest of the survey.
If there is a third rescuer, have him or her write down your findings. Otherwise, you or the
second rescuer should do this.
If you are the only rescuer and must perform rescue breathing or CPR, try to move the
head and neck as little as possible.
Be thorough in looking for bleeding, especially if the injured person is wearing a lot of
clothing, which is often the case in wilderness settings.
Contact your local chapter of the American Red Cross for information about first-aid
classes near you.
Contact the Wilderness Medicine Institute or the National Outdoor Leadership School for
information about wilderness medicine courses and books.
Begin the secondary survey only after you have checked and fixed all of the above
problems. (See "How to Conduct a Secondary Survey of an Injured Person.")
Some diseases, such as HIV and Hepatitis B, are transmitted through the exchange of
bodily fluids. To minimize the risk of infection from oozing or spurting fluids, wear latex
gloves and plastic goggles.
Many other illnesses can be transmitted through the air. Wear a surgical mask to
minimize the risk.
If you have specific medical conditions or concerns, we recommend you contact a
physician. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice
or treatment.
How to check Airways, breathing and circulation
Circulation
Step1
Feel for a pulse, by gently pressing two fingers (do not use the thumb) on the person's neck
between the Adam's apple, or voicebox, and the muscle on the side of the neck.
Step2
To feel for an infant's pulse, press two fingers (do not use the thumb) on the inside of a baby's
arm between the armpit and elbow.
Airway
Step1
Open the airway by gently lifting the chin, which moves the jaw forward and tilts the head
backward. This allows air to enter through the nose and mouth into the lungs.
Breathing
Step1
Look for the person's chest to rise and fall.
Step2
Listen for the sounds of inhaled or exhaled air.
Step3
Feel for exhaled air by putting your ear near the person's mouth.
Tips & Warnings
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Confirm breathing by looking, listening, and feeling. Chest movement alone might not
signify breathing.