Please be on the lookout for a missing RVer***FOUND****

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I?m just glad she was found - wasn?t that the point? No nefarious ?RV jacking? took place. We can all rest easy no one is targeting giant RV?s to bump in the hood.
 
Humanaquarian said:
No nefarious ?RV jacking? took place. We can all rest easy no one is targeting giant RV?s to bump in the hood.
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Amen to that!  I was almost thinking it might be time to get that shotgun and ammo and lessons some friends have recommended.  :eek:. (Legal mention of the "G" word BTW).
 
Yep, Diane saw a recent post on FB from her that said "I zigged, when I should have zagged".  So that probably means that we never will know for sure. But she and Walter (the dog) are OK and that is the important part.
 
I found it odd that both she and the dog were dehydrated.  Even if she ran out of fuel, would there not be water in her fresh water tank?  I hope she didn't think she could travel with an empty or nearly empty water tank, but perhaps as a newbie she didn't know better.  Please do let us know if you ever hear more about this story.  It could be important for someone else.  And thanks for both the initial post and the follow-up.  I'm really glad they found her.

ArdraF
 
People laugh and claim I was wasting fuel cause I traveled with full water tanks and never let my fuel get below a half tank except when I ran from Irma, I ran past all the long lines all the way to Georgia before I bought gas.

Anyhow, I have broke down and had a flat and it was always on a hot summer day, so I was grateful to have plenty of gas for generator and water to flush, wash, eat, clean and so on waiting on help.
 
Something is a little off on this story.  We lived in Redding for over ten years.  Hirz Bay is not exactly wildnerness.  I think Sarge might be right.  Perhaps a medical condition that the lady doesn't want generally known.
 
You guys are all thinking like Diane and I did when we first heard of it. Some things that had to have happened just didn't make sense. But we are talking a serious newbie, so there may have been many things that she didn't know.  In fact, it came out during the search for her that she had posted on a 50 and over Face Book forum that she was looking for someone to caravan with to Washington.  Initially it was feared that she may have taken someone with her that had bad intentions. 

I think that she was looking for someone to "guide" her along the way. As it turns out, she may have needed it.
 
She was Dehydrated to the point of needing an AIR LIFT?????

Anyone have a link to a non-faux news story on that?  Kind of serious if she was that dry.
(Though I have seen dehydration and it can look a lot worse than it is, Seen it twice in fact. once even the doctors were worried but that my have been due to a non-related issue).

(The other case I did not meet the doctors. or at least If I did, I am not aware, Just the diagnosis)

NOTE: Dehydration in both the cases I knew of was the result of something OTHER than not having access to water.  A medical issue caused it.. A very common medical issue in fact. One patient was in her Teens (the one where I did nto meet the doctor) the other her 60's (my Wife).
 
John From Detroit said:
She was Dehydrated to the point of needing an AIR LIFT?????
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The distance from her location to the nearest capable medical facility may have been a factor in the air lift decision beyond her medical situation. Severe dehydration can be very serious if not treated quickly enough. IV fluids are a lot more effective than ingested fluids.
 
There are a number of places that airlift instead of using an ambulance. I was at a Yellowstone clinic once, and they said they never call an ambulance but go straight for airlift due to the time it takes to get to a hospital. Also dehydration can really be serious. I was once so dehydrated I couldn?t think straight. My skin was papery dry, I almost couldn?t swallow because I had no saliva. It took 9 sticks before they could find a vein for the IV. The nurse manager tried, the ER lead (formerly a medic in Afghanistan and Iraq) tried; no luck. Even the folks who were eventually successful took two tries, and they were the ones who used ultrasound equipment to place PIC lines and ports. If this woman was as dehydrated as I was, it was going to take more than an EMT to place the IV. And yes, I was remarkably stupid to wait until a scheduled follow up appointment rather than head straight to the ER when I should have.
 
John From Detroit said:
She was Dehydrated to the point of needing an AIR LIFT?????
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Bits and pieces are getting misleading.  One article indicated she was being treated for dehydration.  Another article reported she was airlifted due to complaining of pain.  Nothing has been reported that said she was airlifted due to dehydration.  Maybe she wanted an airlift outta there and had to make the pain complaint to make it so.  Maybe not.  I was kinda thinking the helo was on site anyway so why not?
 
Hirz Bay is approoximately 31 miles from Shasta Regional Hospital (nearest ER).  Helicopter Air Lifts are pretty common from Shasta Lake.
 
True, you never know what her activity level was leading up to the issue. And being a newbie you never know what kind of advice she was given about using her rig and carrying water.  I never travel with less than about 20 gallons of water in the tank.  However, my BIL doesn't use his fresh water tank. Someone told him once not to use it, so he doesn't.  I have never been able to figure that one out. And he has been RVing for about 5 years. 
 
NY_Dutch said:
The distance from her location to the nearest capable medical facility may have been a factor in the air lift decision beyond her medical situation. Severe dehydration can be very serious if not treated quickly enough. IV fluids are a lot more effective than ingested fluids.
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This I know.. I also know that today when a Rescue is done the distance from the Location of the victim when found to the "Hospital" is not often more than 200 yards.. YUP. EMS. for most issues including High/Low blood sugar, Dehydration and much more (even heart attack) is every bit as good as the ER.  Better in some cases.
 
She may not have known how to access the water in her hot water tank. In addition, she may have had a medical condition that caused confusion.  I have known of more than one elderly person with the beginnings of dementia who disappeared for more than a couple of days.  She may also have had a lousy GPS system that took her down a road she could not get out of.

I only carry half a tank of fresh water, but I often carry a couple of emergency gallons.  Anyway, good that she was found alive.  An older man got lost in Grand Canyon last summer on one of the major trails and was found several months later.

I seldom feel worried about my safety while traveling alone, but I am careful about where I go and where I stay.   
 
John From Detroit said:
This I know.. I also know that today when a Rescue is done the distance from the Location of the victim when found to the "Hospital" is not often more than 200 yards.. YUP. EMS. for most issues including High/Low blood sugar, Dehydration and much more (even heart attack) is every bit as good as the ER.  Better in some cases.
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That's assuming the available EMS personnel had an adequate supply of saline, etc, to fully deal with her dehydration, plus whatever was needed to deal with her pain issues. Most EMS techs are quite good at what they do, but if I need open heart surgery, I'd really rather it be done under better circumstances than on scene, and by someone with more advanced training. In this case, we don't know what her medical needs were, nor were we in a position to evaluate those needs since we weren't there.
 
I think she just got confused. I was in SAR for 20 years in the Redding area and was totally amazed at what some people do. Hirz Bay is not very far from I-5 right on Shasta Lake. And........sometimes a lot easier for the CHP helicopter to search...they cover so much area that searchers in vehicles and on foot cannot cover. And the FLIR system is such a huge advantage.
 
Confusion I do understand. also Senile Dementia...

My Mother-in-Law.. that's what killed her (Alzheimer's)
My wife was showing early symptoms when she lost control of the Jeep and hit the tree (So that crash may actually have been a blessing in disguise)

Since Search and Rescue was part of my professional life, though I'll admit we did not do much of that when I worked at Post 29 (Detroit Freeway) We did when we went central Dispatch (All of S.E. MI) and I'd been involved before joining the dept.  And part of my Hobby (Ham Radio)  I've read many stories of both successful and sad searches.

Some of them the person had reliable communications.. but failed to use them.. And not all were "Elderly" either. Some were like in their 20's with a working 2-way Radio but did not use it..  One wonders.

I have multiple 2-way radios. I will pull out of here with 80 gallons of water, Full propane tanks, in 1 mile I'll have full gasoline tank,  Full Fridge shortly after. (I pull out on my shopping day) and as for the radios. Some are "Short range" (2meter/70cm) Some medium (CB) some.. Well the TS-2000, I string the long wire and theory has it I can chat with California (I'm in South Carolina) and if I choose to type instead of talk.. Well. I have cards from Italy, Japan, France.  You get the idea (I run 30-40 watts typing 100 talking, so much for the "Digital is not as good" crowd)
 
Well that is true, I recall sitting in Las Vegas with a Yeseau FT-51R 2 meter/70cm hand held talking to Perth Australia.. That's about as far as you can get. but that was IRLP.  (internet Radio Linking Project)..  I was talking to a local repeater. IT VoIP'd to Perth.
 
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