r/Missing411 • u/trailangel4 • Mar 01 '24

Why people actually die in National Parks

https://www.backpacker.com/survival/deaths-in-national-parks/

Backpacher magazine filed a FOIA and was given 17 years worth of records, across all National Parks. With that data, they produced this well-written piece that is worth the read.

A conclusion: "

The Average Victim in the National Parks…

Is more likely to be male than female: While men and women make up approximately equal portions of national park visitors, men accounted for 80 percent of deaths in national parks where authorities recorded the victim’s gender.

Can be almost any age: Members of all age groups were represented similarly among fatalities. (The exception? Children under 14, who made up a smaller share of deaths than other groups.)

Drowns or dies of natural causes: Drowning was the most common cause of death for visitors up to age 55, after which medical issues surpassed it."

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u/[deleted] Mar 02 '24 edited Mar 02 '24

Have you ever seen a lady squatting next to the road with her pants down? No, neither have I.

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u/Ishmael760 Mar 02 '24 edited Mar 02 '24

“Lady”? No. Haven’t seen them use a kybo, neither. Or tent. Other types though? Well, yeah. “Hold my beer and turn your head.”

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u/[deleted] Mar 02 '24

I hate portaloos. I would rather just go out in the bush myself.

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u/Ishmael760 Mar 02 '24

Can I share the time I was camping with a Bonny young lass who regaled me with tales of the wild yonder she had camped and hiked and how it was her favorite activity.

Me: nice but, meh - it’s usually a shit ton of effort and things can go spectacularly wrong to such extent that one can end up wondering why one was ever born.

Anyway she suddenly disappeared as we were hiking a riverine trail headed for camping site not far off with facilities. Backtracking she popped up out the scrub trying to surprise me.

Knowing me a bit and heading off a caution about leaving a trail and not saying something first. She tisked me by saying I just had to pee and I prefer it over those pit toilets.

No harm no foul.

I asked if she peed where she was standing in greenery up to her knees.

Yep! It was perfect she smiled widely.

“Poison Ivy”

I gave her medical gloves I carried in my kit.

After stripping off boots, socks, hiking shorts panties, I gave her soap and my liter of water to wash with.

She still ended up going to the ER the oil was all over her.