What would you do?

[Wayne]

Just to get the old grey matter in motion.

It's now 5:15pm. The weather is as it is out your window as your reading this. You're alone in your favourite bushcraft location. Walking to collect fire wood your left leg goes down a rabbit hole you didn't see. You hear a loud cracking noise and you feel a wave of nausea when you try to move your foot. You're not sure, if your foot is getting wet or not?

You have a dead battery on the mobile

you only have your usual kit which maybe back in camp ...........................

 

[stormcloud]

I always carry a small whistle on my keys in my pocket so in the first instance I would blow for help. My small sak is on me at all times as well.

 

[Tomteifi]

Looks like i'm first to have a crack(no pun intended) at this. Firstly, I would have a tentative feel around the injury site and check for blood. If blood present and its dark and venous I would straightaway apply a tourniquet to the injured leg, upper thigh area-belt, braces any strip of other clothing or nearby withy if nothing suitable at hand. Presuming I have a knife or axe or both with me I would drag,hop or pull myself to the nearest sapling and fashion a make do splint and fasten that to me in a similar way and trying to make the foot as immobile as possible. If the wound is superficial leave out tourniquet but very gently bandage and splint leg. Its quite a walk from my FBL to where my car is but that's where I would head-probably take over an hour to do it. The car is an auto and has a right or left(dropdown) accelerator which allows operation with either foot alone so, hopefully drive to a and e would be straightforward. As far as weather and time of day and year, I would be dressed properly for it and would have a lamp with me anyway. I may be lucky that when I get to my car, there may be a staff member or possibly a resident I could summon to call from there for me also. I would in any case be able to re- power my phone from the car as well. I would be checking the tournaquet every 20 mins or so and releasing it slightly for several seconds before doing it up again. Without a tourniquet I would be stopping very often anyway and would continue to check the damage to see if any changes occur.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Pull my Section 5 pistol from my pack and fire 3 rounds as fast as possible and say a prayer.

I'm clearly out deerstalking before anyone asks.

K

 

[wicca]

Mmmm..tough one..

...It's still Spring time and chilly so,

..Find a huge Bunny Rabbit, do a quick bit of surgery and crawl inside him.



(Apologies to Leonado...

)

 

[SoldierPalmer]

First of I would most likely faint at knowing the fact I have snapped my ankle (ive always been funny with breaking my own bones) once I come around and get my self together I would crawl back to my camp and saw 2 sticks to act as crutches to get back to the car which is luckily automatic. I wouldn't bother splinting I'd leave that for the hospital.

 

[bilmo-p5]

I'd have to bite the bullet and get my foot out of that hole, to assess the damage and crawl back to my gear before darkness fell. Reunited with my stuff there'd be to hand, shelter, warmth, sustenance, fak and the spare phone battery that resides in my wallet. One of my regular haunts doesn't have a phone signal but is well trod so I'd be able to attract someone's attention by the by.

 

[Tomteifi]

First of I would most likely faint at knowing the fact I have snapped my ankle (ive always been funny with breaking my own bones) once I come around and get my self together I would crawl back to my camp and saw 2 sticks to act as crutches to get back to the car which is luckily automatic. I wouldn't bother splinting I'd leave that for the hospital.

Sorry...I can't resist...Tenderfoot X 2 ouch! ouch! Great comment!!! (sorry i'm laughing but not at you, at your post!) Lovely, cheers.

 

[dwardo]

Take out the spare phone battery I keep in my FAK, place in phone and call for help

Probably not the angle you are after but I make sure I always have a working phone with backup, as m uch as I make sure I have my sleeping bag with me.

If out of signal it would be to stop any bleeding, strap up as best as i can and drag my carcass to the last place I remember having signal. If that wasn't possible I would try and wear everything I had to keep warm and keep shock to a minimum. Highly unlikely but if able then a fire to keep warm and for signal. I also have a whilst and mirror for that purpose. Keep hydrated and wait for my backup plan - friends and family I had informed prior to my outing to notice I am not back on time and hope the cavalry find me before I check out.

8 times out of 10 I am out with others so hope they would see me right. When going solo I am extra careful.

 

[Janne]

1: Assess damage
2: Stop bleeding
3: Get back to camp, splint. (Make a crutch.)
4: Repack, ditch unnecessary items
5: Take out map, track the easiest route to nearest civilization.

Had to do this once, except the bleeding bit as I did not bleed.

 

[EddieP]

Dress wound appropriately (+/- tq if catastrophic bleeding), take strong painkillers. Considder splint.

Get out my ham radio and start calling. Failing that and if costal, call on marine ch16.

Get into blizzard bag. Reassess options for leaving area.

 

[SoldierPalmer]

Sorry...I can't resist...Tenderfoot X 2 ouch! ouch! Great comment!!! (sorry i'm laughing but not at you, at your post!) Lovely, cheers.

Yea I don't get that. What do these tags mean?

 

[mountainm]

Think to myself "What would Bear do...?" - sorry, that's taking the p***

 

[Tonyuk]

1. Stop screaming with pain,
2. Very carefully attempt to remove ankle from rabbit hole without causing further damage.
3. Check for bleeding, if bleeding heavily tourniquet with belt and stick, note time.
4. Remove pack from back, take out first aid and emergency kit.
5. Dress would as best possible.
6. Use GPS to check grid ref, if it has battery left.
7. Replace battery with spare, dial police -> mountain rescue, give all required info.
8. Remove foil blacked and place on ground where you are as best you can without moving ankle, remove sleeping bag & water from pack.
9. Move pack to leg area and elevate ankle onto pack if possible.
10. Take painkillers and sips of water, cover with sleeping bag. Set timer on watch for 10 minute count with alarm.
11. Keep whistle and signal mirror close to hand, 6 blasts of whistle every minute if possible. Don't stop until someone can physically see you.
11. Loosen tourniquet after 10 mins, re-bind and start timer.
12. Wait and try to keep going with what would be horrible pain, ouch.

Tonyuk

 

[bigbear]

Yuck. The horrible reality of the mundane incident.
Great post.

 

[Joe tahkahikew]

/Well there aint no rabbits out here that live in holes like yours. But its sometimes possible to fall into hole in snow if lots of rocks. I never heard of anyone breaking ankle doing that tho and I'd guess to fracture leg that bad you'd need pretty violent accident maybe.

But :=

When out with dog team which we nearly always are in winter (Its not too cold at the moment about minus 5c - to minus 15c or so).

No mobile. No point, no signal and I don't own one.

So I'd have to get foot out of hole, wrap leg up with whatever I could spare, get onto sledge and have uncomfortable ride back out home. Have some tobacco.

If couldn't do that then as we often hunt in pairs I'd get my hunting partner to me - probably by firing my rifle in a pattern he'd know wasn't me shooting at game.

Otherwise I'd have a little problem.

 

[Janne]

EddieP! You are carrying electronics with you?
Catastrophic bleeding - better to write your Will. Very difficult to stop.

 

[Wayne]

3. Check for bleeding, if bleeding heavily tourniquet with belt and stick, note time.

11. Loosen tourniquet after 10 mins, re-bind and start timer.
12. Wait and try to keep going with what would be horrible pain, ouch.

Tonyuk

Tony nice thoughtful response. Only issue is that the protocol now is that if you apply a tourniquet it stays on and you do not release it every 10-15 minutes. The red stuff needs to stay on the inside to prevent shock.

 

[Tomteifi]

Tony nice thoughtful response. Only issue is that the protocol now is that if you apply a tourniquet it stays on and you do not release it every 10-15 minutes. The red stuff needs to stay on the inside to prevent shock.

Au contraire! How is anyone controlling a tourniquet with a stick going to be able do whatever else they need to? (And) If they were to e.g. fall again or faint etc. and thereby lose control of the stick-they will bleed out and die. If you put one on, make sure it stays on until you choose(or someone else) to remove it.

 

[Wayne]

Tony nice thoughtful response. Only issue is that the protocol now is that if you apply a tourniquet it stays on and you do not release it every 10-15 minutes. The red stuff needs to stay on the inside to prevent shock.

Au contraire! How is anyone controlling a tourniquet with a stick going to be able do whatever else they need to? (And) If they were to e.g. fall again or faint etc. and thereby lose control of the stick-they will bleed out and die. If you put one on, make sure it stays on until you choose(or someone else) to remove it.

Tom haven't you just repeated what I posted. You do not release the tourniquet every 10-15 minutes.