arctic hobo said:
Sorry I should have said, she has made a full recovery, and doctors checked and found no drugs or alcohol in her at all.
It reminds me of a story one of our american members (sorry, don't remember who) posted about hikers who were wandering in tight circles mere yards from a road for days... are we become so alienated from the wilderness that we are that helpless?
That sounds fishy to me. A young healthy person, even inadequately clad, should not have succumbed so close to safety in familiar territory. The things that might get a person into trouble so close to 'home' would be:
a) disorienting occurrence, such as a complete white-out blizzard.
b) fall into frigid water.
c) other disabling accident.
d) alcohol/drugs.
e) medical trauma (e.g., heart attack, stroke, epilepsy, diabetes, etc.).
Sometimes, even the 'wrong' clothing can save one's life. There was a case (probably over 20 years ago now) where motorists where stranded by a sudden blizzard (in Scotland, somewhere, as I recall). One was a commercial traveller in ladies' underwear. He kept hypothermia at bay until he was rescued by wrapping himself in scores and scores of tights and various skimpy undergarments.
I trust everyone keeps spare warm and waterproof clothing; gloves; woolly hats; wellies; tow rope; jump leads; torch; etc. in their cars at this time of the year?
Burnt Ash