Calling for help...with style!
God only knows why I click on the links that I do, but I found myself looking at this graphic about the dangers of some of the rapids at Great Falls:
...because someone diedWhy anyone would go over these things on purpose is something I don't completely understand, but what really amazed me was the graphic on the bottom showing the correct ways to signal distress. The first one's fine, I guess; saying you're okay by tapping your helmet. You probably need to use that one most often, so it's simplicity makes sense. The second one involves a little more, but it also makes sense. If you were trying to signal danger, you want something that looks as frantic as you feel, and waving one hand like crazy will take care of that. Plus, you still have the other hand to navigate your way through the danger/emergency.
The one that amazes me is the last one, where you not only have to use both arms to signal that you need medical attention, but you then swing them above and in front of you. Why are you pulling a move from N'Sync's choreographer when you need medical attention? Your body is thrashed on the rocks, half your bones are broken, but in order to get medical attention, you have to pull yourself together enough to use a signal that's more complicated than most of the signs used by football referees for penalties. I just keep imagining someone desperately trying to signal for medical attention, only to have some other seasoned adventurers seeing his hand hitting his head and thinking he's okay when, in fact, it's the only movement he can make.
What they don't tell you is that a triple backflip indicates a shattered pelvis.
2 comments:
good point reid, i always thought that lying motionless on the river's surface was a good indicator of medical attention but let's just say no one is going to find me with a kayak strapped to the roof of my car.
pshaw! You think that last emergency signal is bad? Well, try doing the "chicken dance" when you are in distress on a climbing route - that requirement is really a bit over the top.
Anyway, those rapids are ridiculous - anyone who points their boat down that needs to have their head examined. What I really like is the "safer route" over the "fingers". Yeah. real safe looking.
BTW, excellent geologic site - I believe those rapids represent the "fall line" between the Piedmont and the Coastal Plain, but more importantly, there are some kick-ass 600 million year old metamorphic rocks of the Piedmont to be seen there. Never been - will have to go sometime - sans Kayak thank you.
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