Survival Lessons from a 50-Year-Old Hiking Tragedy

Fifty years ago this November 15th, 6 Boy Scouts went on an easy overnight hike in Madera Canyon, a popular recreation area in the Santa Rita Mountains of southern Arizona. Three of them died in those mountains, three survived. The tragedy is it didn't have to end that way. Like most wilderness deaths, it wasn't one big problem, but a series of poor decisions that led to their deaths. Hikers are still making the same poor decisions today.

The three who survived just made better choices at critical times. Those choices, and a bit of luck, made their rescue possible on November 17th. The bodies of the other three scouts were carried out of Madera Canyon 19 days later by searchers from Fort Huachuca. More than 700 searchers, some with bloodhounds, had combed the mountain trails: sheriff's deputies, local volunteers, and military personnel from Ft. Huachuca and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

They used every form of travel they had: hiking, snowshoes, horses, four-wheel drive vehicles, military half-tracks, helicopters and small airplanes. Southern Arizona threw every resource they had into that search, which is still one of the biggest search operations Arizona has ever done, and it wasn't enough. The evidence found by the searchers showed that the three boys probably died of hypothermia on the second day.

Where did it go wrong? Could the deaths have been prevented? What can we learn from their survival or death to keep us safer today?

Poor Decision 1: Their scout leader told them it was not a good season for an overnight hike to the summit because November weather can change from beautifully warm to cold and nasty in hours. They went anyway.

Lesson 1: Listen to the local residents, and those with more experience in the area. If they say "it's the wrong time of year", or "don't use that road", change your plans. If you can't change your plans, go prepared for the worst the area can throw at you.

Poor Decision 2: The scouts were lightly dressed, expecting a pleasant overnight hike, not a winter survival exercise. Weather forecasting in those pre-satellite years didn't predict the fast-moving storm that dumped several feet of snow on them in the Santa Ritas.

Lesson 2: Make sure you are prepared for the worst weather that the area has ever had in that season. In the spring and fall, if you don't like the idea of a winter survival test, stay out of the wilderness because winter may have its own plans. Check the weather satellites to see if any storm systems are moving in your direction.

Poor Decision 3: The storm arrived in mid-afternoon, but the three who died didn't turn back when the temperatures started falling and the wind increased. Reportedly, even though snow started falling, they kept climbing, moving further into danger. The three who turned back to their campsites had sleeping bags and tents for shelter.

Lesson 3: If you encounter weather or travel conditions you didn't plan for, don't stick to the original plan. Get out of the area to a safer place, or immediately follow your survival plan. You have a survival plan, don't you?

Where did it go right? The scouts were dropped off by one boy's father, so a responsible adult knew where they were. He went to the canyon as planned, fought his way through the snow, met the three survivors on the 16th and helped them to shelter in a seasonal lodge in the canyon. Another father, waking to find 6+ inches of snow in Tucson, dashed to the mountain and made it to the lodge just before the road was closed by snow. That group was rescued on November 17th. Sadly, both of these men lost their sons.

Lesson 4: Always let someone know where you are going, what route you are taking, and when you expect to be back. If no one knows you are gone, no one knows where you are, or no one knows if you are overdue, there will be no one lookig for you.

Neither father had called for help before they left, and the phone lines were already down in the canyon. They had a bit of luck: a HAM radio operator who lived in the canyon sent out the call for help.

What did Arizona learn about search and rescue?

The first day or two of the search was chaotic, because there was no organization. They had to create a chain of command and learn how to coordinate a massive search while they were searching. Willing, but unequipped and inept volunteers got in the way of the ones with experience. It was a wake-up call for a rapidly growing state.

SARA (Southern Arizona Rescue Association) was quickly founded in response to this incident, and more volunteer search and rescue groups have been founded since then. They buy their own equipment, train regularly, and know each other's specialties. Some have tracking dogs, some do mountain rescues, some have horses, some can snowshoe.

The state and county governments have developed search and rescue plans that use the County Sheriff's own SAR units as coordinators for volunteer rescue posses, specialized rescue groups, and military personnel. Now, for a lost hiker or hunter report, or when a sudden storm is likely to have trapped people, professionals and well-trained volunteers can launch the rescue plan for that area within minutes, and have trained volunteers and professionals in the field within hours if it's necessary. We can't save them all, but if the hikers and hunters haven't made too many poor decisions, the chances are pretty good for a radio call of "Subjects found in good condition".

Sources:

http://trsar.org/sar_newsletter/2002/newsletter_nov_02.htm

Arizona Daily Star archives: November 15th to December 5th, 1958