2 RI Men Call For Help Fearing Frostbite

Associated Press ^ | December 31, 2008

[george76]

Two young men have been rescued from a Black Mountain cabin in Jackson, N.H., after fearing one had frostbite from wearing improper gear.

Eighteen-year-olds Pasquale Digiovangiacomo (di-gee-oh-VAN-gee-i-COH-moh) and Dean Cooper, both from Cranston, R.I., hiked to a cabin they had reserved for the weekend Tuesday afternoon. The men had trouble getting the wood stove started and once it was lit, it gave little heat.

[OCCASparky]

Even so, rule of thumb number one is dress for the weather. Hell, I'm no genius but if the cabin temperature is in the teens (or lower) when you get there, logic dictates that no matter how good your stove is, 1--it's going to take a while to start, 2--it's going to take even longer to warm an entire room or cabin.

When you couple that with the fact they probably either smoked themselves out by not "priming" the chimney, couldn't get much going with the wind gusting at 40 mph last night, didn't use kindling or a firelog to start it, and probably used that crappy green firewood that every Cumby's sells for an outrageous price, was there REALLY any surprise they couldn't get any heat from the fire?

[livius]

The US Army used to test its Arctic gear in the White Mountains but many people still underestimate the mountains and think being there is just like, say, waiting for the ski-lift at the lodge.

Big mistake. The White Mountains have just about the most severe and unpredictable weather in the entire US.

[andy58-in-nh]

Yep. Doesn’t sound as though they planned too well for their little excursion. 18-year old kids used to be better at such things (”as in my day”, says this crotchety old man) when many of them were Boy Scouts, and learned some practical things about cold weather survival and making fires and such.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Sheesh. Flatlanders.

Mount Washington kills more people than almost anyother venue in the United States, for just that reason. It's within a day's drive for about sixty million people who greatly underestimate the dangers associated with even a modest mountain hike in an upcountry New England winter.

[OCCASparky]

Or are only free government services for illegal aliens?

Good luck finding many (if any) of them here in NH, unless you count those couple of illegal Canadians standing outside Home Depot.

And frankly, if you knew how much one of these "rescues" costs, I have no problem charging someone who does stupid crap, not taking adequate precautions, etc.

We just passed a law here which states that hiking permits can and will be pulled from people who are negligent. If you don't pay, your driver's license can be revoked. Out of the about 140 rescues last year, only 10 fell into that category. Even if the new stricter standards are implemented, which lowers the standard from recklessness to mere negligence, that number would go to about 40 a year.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20081230-NEWS-812300409

And notice the last line. Out of the $1 million spent by NH alone in the last decade, only about $25,000 has actually been collected. IOW, someone is making an issue out of stupid people being punished for doing stupid things.

For your review:

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Found+hikers+to+pay+up%2C+or+lose+license&articleId=bc8963ef-705a-477d-b254-e610c026d7ee

The cases being reviewed include:

--Nicola Taylor of Milford, a 45-year-old who allegedly was "highly intoxicated," officials said, when she walked away from her site at the Dry River Campground in Crawford Notch State Park Aug. 1. Cost to the state: $607.75.

--Michael Castiello and Dane Izzo Jr., both 20, of Massachusetts. Authorities said they were intoxicated and wandered away from their Hidden Valley Campground site in Derry on Sept. 21. They used their cell phone to call 911. Cost to the state: $377.07.

--Nan Yang, 30, and Christine Hou, 35, of Massachusetts had to be rescued Oct. 4 off the Liberty Spring Trail in Franconia Notch after they separated from their party, had no lights or equipment and used their cell phones to call for help, said Garabedian. Cost to the state: $197.38.

--On Nov. 2, Charson Lin, 32, of New York City, and Ying Yu, 25 of Cambridge, Mass. were near Mount Cardigan with no gear, no flashlight but had a cell phone. Cost to the state: $510.33.

[Cicero]

Digiovangiacomo (di-gee-oh-VAN-gee-i-COH-moh)

Actually, in Italian it’s pronounced dee-gee-oh-van-JOCK-a-moe. Can’t the MSM even get THAT right?

[OCCASparky]

Big mistake. The White Mountains have just about the most severe and unpredictable weather in the entire US.

Amen, sistah. I thought I was ready for that kind of weather, having been raised in small mountain communities in the Rockies. Somehow that kind of complacency (hey, I've seen it all in Colorado, right?) will bite you square in the butt the first time you try hiking out of a campsite with no food, water, inadequate clothing, etc.

People think because the heater in the car works, they're all good. They never stop to think what happens if the car stops working. One major reason I keep extra gloves, extra jacket, flares, sand, and a couple of MRE's in the Jeep.

[Nailbiter]

IIRC The Sierra Club offered insurance to hikers. Some ridiculously low cost $65 a year. would cover up to .5 mill to million for search and rescue.
This was back in mid 90’s.
I always thought if one was hiking was great insurance.

I was not member of Sierra Club, had friend that was involved with group

[ERJCaptain]

Either way, that last name should’ve been chopped by two-thirds at Ellis Island. ;)

[Kimmers]

Someday, soon......

[george76]

GoreBull warming

8-)

[daku]

they probably should have left their long johns ON !

[Cicero]

It is an odd name, indeed. Maybe from the Italian Tyrol? It’s Italian, but the form is basically German, especially that “van” bit. So it’s some kind of cross between Italian and German. It appears to mean Digio, son of Giacamo, i.e., son of James. I don’t know where on earth Digio comes from, unless from the perfume line Di Gio, which a google search turned up. See trademark dispute here:

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/o37603.pdf

Maybe he should change his name to Smith.

[Daffynition]

They’re just idiots with car keys ... Darwin must have been taking a coffee break.

They’ll be charged for their ‘rescue.’ Believe me.

[OCCASparky]

Dude, you have NO idea how many of those idiots I see heading up the Spaulding every weekend. They’re probably all surprised that the wind chill at 1 PM EST today (as we speak) where I live is still in the -10 F range.

[rellimpank]

-- did not know how to get heat out of a fire!!

--this inability is not limited to those from Little Rhodey---

[stylin_geek]

I see, so, you were a person who was able to make outstanding decisions along with being able to do everything by age 18.

Congratulations, that puts you ahead of every other 18 year old I’ve known.

[Daffynition]

Remember Christopher McCandless?

[Mr. K]

Looks like they did not learn anything from the boy scouts, such as simple fire starting.

But I bet they know a lot about ‘diversity’ from school. I bet their ‘self esteem’ is sky high after this

[Freedom4US]

We arrived several years ago at one of the Ranger entrance stations at a National Park in one of the Very Large Square States, and a helicopter was hovering nearby, and I asked what was going on. “Search and rescue for a missing hiker.” Later, I got the full story. A tourist had ingested tequila and hallucinogenics, and experienced some kind of panic attack, and ran away from her friends and companions. This, in the high desert canyons! She thought her rescuers were “out to get me” and so was actually hiding from them! Eventually, she stumbled on to another party, who gave her a ride in his jeep to a ranger station and rather unceremonious dumping off therein. I’m sure they were Not Amused.