Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

msar-riders - [MSAR] Riding alone

msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Mounted search and rescue

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Una Smith <una.smith@att.net>
  • To: Mounted search and rescue <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [MSAR] Riding alone
  • Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2006 08:41:30 -0700


In the "alerting horse" thread, Una Smith wrote:
>>Second example, a mock search. My task was to go to the point
>>last known (the vehicle) then go north northeast cross country
>>in heavy forest to meet up with a team that might need help.

Barbara Sly wrote:
>Una, we never let our people go out in less than a team of 2 (humans),
>whether in training or on a mission. It sounds as if your unit
>permits riders to go out alone. Did I misunderstand or was this an
>uncommon exception?

My unit always fields at least 2 riders per field team, and the
team sticks together. But remember why we do that? One reason
is to distribute the workload of tasks: one does navigation and
comms and records while another tracks or searches, etc. And
so that in the event of finding a subject deep in a canyon where
comms are blocked (this is common), one rider can stay with the
subject while the other rides out. Multi-rider teams are safer,
as a rule, but even teams that always follow this rule expect to
suspend it. That is why a field team including a novice should
in addition have *2* experienced riders, for a minimum of 3.

At this particular mock search, hosted by Ian Vowles' Colorado
MSAR, I was the only member of my unit who attended. In that
part of Colorado riding alone is common, and for certain tasks
Ian will use a single rider. I know he does so only when he
knows that the rider is willing and able to follow a specific
route exactly as directed, that the rider has very good field
skills and a good horse, and that the rider will stay in radio
contact.

Working alone on a SAR task was a new experience for me. I gave
it a try; it renewed my opinion that, in general, working alone
is a bad idea. But I understand there is a growing trend in SAR
everywhere (including Washington state, per SARVAC minutes) to
send out individual resources. Always with good comm, usually
in a vehicle. The "no working alone" rule originated in the days
of poor or no communications in the wilderness, *and* the need
to be prepared to help the (presumably injured) search subject.

Outside of SAR, working alone in the field is my usual practice,
from years of experience in my career as a field biologist. I
used to work in tropical rainforests, some of them in extremely
remote locations. Usually I worked alone but I was based at a
field station. Our only backup was that we told one another at
breakfast our general plan for the day, so that if anyone did
not return for dinner the others would have a good idea where
to start searching. Sometimes I worked entirely alone, camping
out of my vehicle. That was before the days of ubiquitous cell
phones and radio repeaters.

In the past 3 years I have been involved also in orienteering.
In the orienteering community it is standard practice to work
alone. I have spent many hours in the field alone or with my
infant, up to an hour's walk away from any trailhead, setting
courses.

We are so much safer today, thanks to our marvelous technology;
yet it appears that fewer and fewer SAR responders are really
comfortable in the field. Are our comfort zones shrinking, or
is this a case of SAR responders, just like our search subjects,
daring to go too deep into the field because of the safety net
of technology?

Perhaps it is time for the SAR community to rethink its rules
about working alone. Some talking points:

Is someone on horseback at more or less risk than someone alone
on foot or in a vehicle?

Which do you think is riskier: sending a rider alone as normal
practice, or as special exception?

Una Smith
New Mexico




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page