Welcome to another edition of Survival Weekly, where the real wilderness survival “reality show” plays out everyday, in the wild places around our world. These unscripted stories will give you insight to the true threats and challenges you may face in your outdoor pursuits. So sit back, relax, and read on to get a dose of reality to sharpen your most valuable survival tool. – BPO

Featured – 

Frostbite, punctured lung, and a wolverine battle – http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2889210/Miracle-survival-Alaskan-man-spent-three-days-sub-zero-wilderness-snowmobile-sank-fight-wolverine-stick.html

Lost, broken wrist, hypothermia.. the 101 trifecta –  http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/general-news/20141222/hiker-rescued-above-sierra-madre

News – 

Students make drone attachment –http://3dprint.com/32642/student-search-and-rescue/

New Hampshire “Hike Safe” 2015 cards now available online – http://www.pressherald.com/2014/12/27/n-h-offers-hike-safe-cards-to-shield-hikers-from-rescue-costs/

Winter Sports – 

Skier and snowboarder spent night out in Telluride backcountry – http://www.nbc11news.com/home/headlines/Lost-skier-and-snowboarder-rescued-after-overnight-in-Bear-Creek-286887211.html

Body of snowshoer recovered – http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Search-mission-at-Mount-Rainier-Paradise-closed-287027711.html

Snowmobiler rescued from avalanche – http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/snowmobiler-rescued-after-avalanche-near-whistler-1.2883968

Skier spends cold night out – http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/12/24/skier-found-safe-after-night-mountain/v5Hk1giEo5vaPKiw6vW8II/story.html

Hiking – 

Hiker rescued after week in shelter – http://www.mrtimes.com/news/missing-maple-ridge-hiker-rescued-from-golden-ears-mountain-after-a-week-1.1693776
Olympic National Park (WA)
Major Search In Progress For Missing Day Hiker

Yesterday marked the fifth day of an ongoing interagency search for a 60-year-old Port Angeles man who failed to return from a day hike he took in the park last Monday.

Searchers from the park, Olympic Mountain Rescue, Tacoma Mountain Rescue, Clallam County SAR, Jefferson County SAR, and two dog teams from German Shepherd’s Search Dogs continued to search the Olympic Hot Springs area over the weekend.

Jim Griffin, who frequently hikes the two-and-a-half-mile trail to the hot springs, went for a day hike there on Monday, December 22nd. On Wednesday, December 24th, around 10:00 p.m., friends reported Griffin overdue when he did not show up for Christmas Eve dinner.

Three NPS searchers began the search that evening and continued through the night. On Christmas Day, two two-person teams searched for Griffin. Several friends of Griffins, including the reporting party, assisted in the efforts on both Thursday and Friday.

On the afternoon of Christmas Day, Griffin’s day pack was located 50 feet off trail about a half mile from the trailhead. On Friday, eight search groups, including three dog teams, searched until dark. The park also attempted to use Griffin’s dog in the search, but the dog was not able to indicate where Griffin might be.

On Saturday, 21 searchers and two dogs resumed the effort to find him. The search teams completed a grid search within 500 feet of the location where Griffin’s day pack was found. They covered the entire search area in a grid pattern about ten feet apart, but no clues were found.

Park incident team members spoke to a couple on Saturday who had a conversation with Griffin at the hot springs. They believe he left the springs around 4:00 p.m. on Monday, which would mean he hiked back in the dark.

On Sunday, three teams were in the field and were joined by a group of Griffins’ friends. No sign of him was found. The search will be suspended today, but the investigation will continue.

Anyone who was at the Olympic Hot Springs, on the trail, or at the parking lot last Monday is asked to contact park dispatch at 360-565-3115. Even the smallest piece of information might help in the search.

Rock slide kills hiker – http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Rock+slide+kills+girl+mountain+near+Lions/10674236/story.html

Hunter-gatherer – 

Fishermen rescued – https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/25856769/fishermen-rescued-off-dunsborough/

Coast Guard rescues fishermen – http://www.abcnews4.com/story/27699466/coast-guard-involved-in-rescue-near-mcclellanville

Climbing – 

Injured climber rescued – http://business.scoop.co.nz/2014/12/24/helicopter-rescue-from-summit-of-mt-ngauruhoe/

Water Safety – 

Teen swimmer missing – http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/search-underway-teen-missing-90-mile-beach-6212201

Jetskier rescued after night out – http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/aap/article-2887073/Jetskier-missing-Victoria-NSW-border.html

Six rescued from rip tides – http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/64482618/six-rescued-from-bay-of-plenty-rips

Lake Superior swimmer fatality – http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_27198378/1-dead-1-missing-lake-superior-at-bluefin

Vehicles – 

Wreckage and bodies of Airasia flight found – http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/12/30/missing-airasia-jet/21037899/

Two snowmobilers recovered from icy lake – http://ravallirepublic.com/missoula/news/local/article_724fcb82-9038-5ba4-9149-f767efda9ada.html

Vehicle located at bottom of lake – http://www.jrn.com/kgun9/news/Search-and-rescue-units-looking-for-car-at-bottom-of-lake-in-Lakeside-Park-286972451.html

Small plane crash – http://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/local/2014/12/24/kimball-firefighters-search-missing-plane/20876585/

Missing ATV rider found – http://www.parkrecord.com/summit_county-news/ci_27196602/sar-deployed-twice-over-weekend

Urban – 

Missing four year old found by search dog – http://myfox8.com/2014/12/26/davidson-county-woman-dog-help-find-body-of-missing-south-carolina-boy/

Interested in learning skills to handle emergencies like the ones you read in Survival Weekly?   Check out BigPig Outdoors Survival 101 class  – http://www.bigpigoutdoors.net/survival-101-1.html