How to Hasten up the Search and Rescue of the Lost Trekkers

Abstract

Consider a recent incident of flight MH370, where even with state of the art GPS systems, we do not know the where about of the flight even after so many months. In today’s world, even with available latest technology, it has become difficult to search some things like an aero plane etc. Imagine how difficult the task of search and rescue team might be to locate people who might have got lost in the forest while trekking or hiking. This paper explores how information from previously lost trekkers can help the rescue teams in helping in some way to locate the lost people.

The study surveyed some of the experienced trekkers from southern India and how the information from them is useful in at least knowing the starting point of the search. How their personal experiences can contribute in helping other trekkers, search and rescue teams and other involved people in the search.

1. Introduction

In this chapter, the background, research aims and objectives, research questions and also limitations of the study will be presented.

1.1 Background

Research Problem:

Mountaineering, trekking, hiking is one of the most common weekend getaways for young and energetic people. The outcome is both pleasure and fitness.

The locations chosen by them to explore the vast wilderness tend to be unexplored mountains, valleys, peaks and plains. The most common equipment which helps them in this area, are the maps and GPS devices. Most experienced people tend to explore alone without local guides using only maps and GPS. Weather conditions play an important role during treks. If the weather is good the trek is pleasant and enjoyable and if it is bad then, there might be issues like bad light, thick fog, very heavy rains, blizzards, animal attacks and even natural disasters like landslides, earthquake and forest fires. Acclimatization to the environment forms very important part before any trek begins and this process starts at the base camps.

However there are in situation where they get lost in the wilderness. Locating and rescuing them either by other trekkers or search and rescue teams, becomes one of the major issues in the vast wilderness.

There are instances where the GPS might not function properly or the maps are gone, these trekkers find themselves totally lost in the vast wilderness. With exhausting food supplies, bad weather, fear of wild animals and psychological effects of getting lost, the trekkers tend to rescue themselves by coming back on paths which they think is correct. In most cases they drift further away in wrong direction.

Rescue teams use the last known locations to start the search for the survivors. In cases above, rescuing trekkers become difficult as they would not know their correct last position.

To help search and rescue teams in predicting the possible paths, there should be some analysis done using the information available to know the possible path that might be taken by the trekker. Knowledge for the local people familiar in those areas also contributes significantly in analysis of the possible paths. The rescue teams or other trekkers in the same area can then co-ordinate to rescue the lost trekkers.

1.2 Research Aims and Objectives

Aim:

Deciding on the location, which has to be searched for the lost trekkers by using the available information about their last known location, weather conditions, food and water supplies? (Information collected from previously lost trekkers).

Objectives:

A. To comprehend weather conditions that has affected treks of previous lost trekker.

B. To use the last known location and use the collected information to narrow the search area for search and rescue teams.

1.3 Research Questions

1.3.1 Main Research Question

How can the search and rescue teams decide on locations for the search of lost trekkers in deep forest, mountain ranges based on the available information?

1.3.2 Sub questions

A. How can the rescue team analyze the known information (like last known location etc) to locate the lost trekker?

B. How analysis of information from previously lost trekkers can help in narrowing the search area.

1.4 Limitations of the Study, Focus and Feasibility

The paper will not take into consideration of any GPS data that might have been available. Also the research study is dependent on the experiences of the respondents who were lost in the wilderness.

The respondents have vast experience of trekking in Southern India.

2. Methodology

2.1 Data Collection Methods

An early activity in any empirical research study is to collect data about the phenomenon under investigation. For this purpose, data generation methods are used [1, p.25]. The data collected can be numeric like number lines of code etc called as quantitative data and data like text, image, sound, video called qualitative data [1, p25, p26].

The common data collections methods are interviews, questionnaires, observation studies, group discussions, document studies .each have their own advantages and disadvantages.

In practice, certain methods tend to be associated with certain strategies [3, p4].

2.1.1 Qualitative and Quantitative data

Both quantitative and qualitative will be used to answer the research questions. Quantitative data will used to get the information on the number of times they have been lost etc, and qualitative data will be used to get the detailed perspective of the information. Together the answers will look well-built.

2.1.2 Questionnaire

Questionnaires are ideal for quantitative descriptive research when data need to be collected from many people and when questions to be asked are clearly defined. They are ideal for research that is meant to have breadth, rather than depth [2, p74]

Questionnaires rely on written information supplied directly by people in response to questions asked by the researcher [3, p156]. A questionnaire is a written document consisting of questions distributed to a number of respondents. A questionnaire can include questions with predefined answers, as well as open questions where