I promised my friend Tommy, that I would write a
winter survival article for him. The
thing is that Tommy’s a Marine and was trained in winter survival and since I didn’t
want to repeat things that he already knows, here are some tips that aren’t in
the Marine Corp Winter Survival Course Handbook,
2002, HERE. I hope they help, Tommy! This is Part One of a four part series–
Author’s Note.
 |
An excerpt from Polar Manual, Fourth Edition, by Captain Hedblom. This is an exceptional survival manual and can be found, HERE. For other great resources, check out the bibliography for the links to them.
You were minding your own business , when WHAM! suddenly you’re in a winter survival situation. Maybe your car slid off a country road into a ravine, maybe your plane crashed onto a mountainside. Doesn’t matter, what matters is that it is cold, really cold, and you must make decisions NOW that will affect the rest of your life. Do you know what you should do now to survive? Here are some survival tips from the Air Force, the FAA, and other sources, which hopefully will help you if you are ever in this situation.
The most likely reasons for finding yourself thrust into an arctic or winter survival situation, is some form of vehicle crash, so that will be our assumption.
First
things first, in today’s modern world of cellular and radio communications,
with its helicopters and snowmobiles, an accident followed by a lengthy period
of isolation requiring wilderness survival is unlikely, although still
possible. Today, it is more likely that
you will be found and rescued within the first 12 to 24 hours, and at the worst
within 72 hours, so hang on! However,
the first hours, and in fact the first few seconds and minutes, can be critical
to your survival, particularly if you are injured, or the weather is
extreme.
For
more on this read “Should I Stay, or Should I Go, and the 72-Hour Rule©”, HERE.
In the case of a plane crash
 |
An airplane crash near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; from CBC News, Canada, HERE.
First,
STAY CALM! It is okay to be
afraid, anyone would be afraid, just don’t let your fear take over and cause you
to panic. Panic makes people do dumb
things and dumb things will kill!
Second,
follow the flight crew's instructions on how to evacuate the wreckage and on what
to do next. If no crew members survive,
or can give instructions, find the nearest exit, and get out!
It
is important to get out of the plane, IMMEDIATELY! You might only have 90 seconds before the
plane catches fire. According to the FAA
only about 8% of plane crashes resulted in fires, due ruptured fuel lines or
tanks, however since the fatality rate in the case of fires, due to burns and
smoke inhalation is so high, you can’t delay – GET OUT NOW!
Leave
all your belongings on the plane, grabbing them will only slow you down.
Third,
move to a safe distance away from the wreck, at least
500 feet (150 meters) away, until you are certain that there is no fuel
leaking or any electrical arcing which might ignite any vaporized fuel, or the
plane has burnt out (this might take an hour or so). Find any other survivors, and if possible,
get behind a tree, rock, or other large object in case the plane explodes.
In the case
of a car accident
Obviously,
car accidents are different than plane crashes, but mostly, because fires after
a car accident are 60% less likely to occur than after a plane crash, with only
3% of car crashes resulting in fires, according to the NFPA's statistics2. Monitor the situation to see if you need to
retreat from the scene of the wreck.
Sequence of
tasks
After
the crash, the order in which survival tasks should be done depends on the weather
and the circumstances that you find yourself in. In general, the sequence of tasks should be
as follows, but remember if there are more than one survivor on the scene, more
than one survival task can be completed at the same time.
First, as soon as you are safely away from the wreckage or there is no more chance of fire, provide first aid to anyone that is sick, injured or distressed. Since medical supplies might be limited, it is important that any minor injuries are cared for immediately to avoid further complications. In many cases, all that can be done for someone who is injured is to keep them reassured and as warm and comfortable as possible.
Second, build a
temporary shelter, even if it is only a wind break, while you care for the sick
and injured and wait for the wreckage to be safe to approach.
It
is very important to provide some amount of shelter from the wind, especially
for those for those who are suffering from injuries and/or shock.
Choose
a spot protected from drifting snow or wind, and near timber, for fuel and
building material, if any timber is nearby.
Stay away from the bases of cliffs where snow might collect and
avalanche down upon you. Temporary
shelters just need to protect you from the wind, they don’t have to be fancy to
be effective.
 |
A snow wall, an excerpt from U.S. Marine Corps’ Winter Survival Course Handbook, 2002
A
half-circle dug out of the snow, with the debris piled on the windward side,
thirteen feet (4 meters) wide in diameter on the widest side, should be enough
to shelter five people. For less than
five people, subtract 1 foot (.3 meters) from the diameter, for each person
less than five.3
For
more information on windbreaks read “...Seeking Shelter Against the Wind©”, HERE.
 |
Note how hard it is to see a wrecked plan from the air, by Marcel Siegenthaler, for CBC News, November 3, 2017, HERE.
near the wreckage, because is easier to see a car or a plane from the air than it is to see a single person.
 |
Survival Training Edition, AF Manual 64-3, 1969, page 2-5. An excellent PDF copy of the Department Of The Air Force, Survival Training Edition, AF Manual 64-3, 1969 edition, can be found HERE.
And
more important than anything else, you must try to stay as warm as possible.
Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Winter Survival for Tommy,
Part Two ©”, where we will talk about winter wilderness survival and how to stay
warm and get rescued.
I
hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me
on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE. Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s
Journal Online, HERE,
and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube. If you have questions, as always, feel free
to leave a comment on either site. I
announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at
bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.
That
is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!
Notes
1 From
“6.5 Million Cars Are Catching Fire – Is Yours One of
Them?” by Way.com
2 Sailing
Directions (Planning Guide) for the Arctic Ocean, First Edition, by Defense
Mapping Agency, page 290
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