Professional development is an ongoing part of being a mountain guide. This week I have been taking a 9-day first aid course geared towards the outdoor backcountry environment called a Wilderness First Responder. We have been reviewing procedures and protocols for a wide variety of potential emergencies in the outdoors. Yesterday we reviewed hypothermia them practiced a scenario. I was asked to be one of the “patients”. The three of us dunked ourselves into an icy river then waited on the shore for the rest of the class to come rescue us. We all were reminded very quickly that he sooner you can get someone out of wet clothes and into a warm dry environment the better!
The three "patients" shortly after dunking ourselves into a cold Oregon river waiting to be rescued.
Sophia drying my head as a hypothermia wrap is being prepared.
Feeling much warmer inside the hypothermia wrap complete with plastic lining and several sleeping bags.