How not to get lost in the Carpathian Mountains? (Infographic)

Transcarpathian rescuers tell about cases where residents got lost in the mountains and advise how to avoid such cases in the Carpathians.

September 27, professionals of the mountain search and rescue department (MSRD) of the village of Ust-Chorna in Tyachiv district were searching for a 42-year-old local man on the Krasna meadow.   In the morning, the man had gone to pick mushrooms. At first he would call regularly, but then stopped responding to calls. As the victim has serious problems with health, his family raised the alarm and called rescue workers.

The rescuers, having defined the likely whereabouts of the man, together with local residents began searching, inspecting each meter of the area.  At 18:45, the mushroom hunter wasl found on the outskirts of the village of Ust-Chorna and delivered home. Fortunately, the man did not need emergency care. 

The day before the incident, on September 25, in a wooded area near the village of Richka in Mizhhirya district, mountain rescuers of Mizhhirya MSRD were searching for a 51-year-old resident of the village of Soymy in the same district. He went to the forest with his son-in-law to harvest wood. Because of the bad weather, the man got lost. It was reported to the rescue service of Transcarpathia on September 25 at about 23:00. Despite darkness and heavy rain, rescuers found the man in just one hour. The victim’s state was satisfactory and he did not need medical care. Rescuers delivered him to his family in the village of Richka. 

Usually, it is tourists from other regions of the country the get lost in the Carpathians, however, as evidenced by the facts, no one is immune to accidents in the wild. Even experienced locals can get lost in the woods. To avoid this, the Office of the State Emergencies Service of Ukraine in Transcarpathian region recommends to remember a few tips. First of all, tell you family where you are going. If there is no one nearby, leave a note with a message stating the date, time of departure, the number of people going with you, the destination and estimated time of return. Be sure to charge the cell phone at home and take it with you.

Make it a rule to look up a map or at least a hand-drawn plan of the area and remember landmarks before a journey to the forest. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Preferably, the clothes should be bright.  It should be remembered that weather conditions can change quickly. It is therefore necessary to take warmer clothes too.

Take some matches, a knife, a compass, a small supply of food, flask of water, a first aid kit. If you have certain chronic diseases, take necessary medications, even if you plan to return before the time of their reception.

And most importantly, do not let elderly relatives and young children to the woods alone! Without help they can get lost, injured or get into another trouble!