How many emergencies go unheard of on the AT every year?

[Gambit McCrae]

You always hear of people CONCERNED about getting bit by a rattlesnake, or attacked by a bear or struck by lightning, but how often do these things really happen every year? Moose are aggressive at times of the year but you never hear worries from people concerning moose preparation. Does the AT go years without incident with nature or does it happen and word doesn't get out.

[MN Star]

Major events like that are going to get reported because several agencies will want to know. Wildlife and health agencies will need to know about bear attacks and snake bites. The lightening example probably wouldn't get "officially" reported because I doubt there is protocols set up for that. Other random accidents may or may not get reported.

I wouldn't worry about bear attacks. I'd worry about tripping over a log while going to take a crap by yourself and getting a compound fracture with bleeding or hitting your head and seizing. That's WAY more likely to happen than being stuck by lightening. And these aren't going to get reported except for in a tally of evacuations by first responders.

That's the data I want to see.

[Ktaadn]

With Twitter and Facebook, there is zero chance that a leaf falls on the AT without it getting reported.

[Spirit Walker]

Actually, a lot happens that we never hear about. One year there were two or three rabid skunk or raccoon bites that we heard about from talking to hikers that I never saw online. There are more thefts than make the forums. There are serious accidents like falls that don't necessarily make the news. ATC may hear about them, but if the individual affected just goes home or continues on their hike without calling in authorities, it may never be talked about by the world at large.

[garlic08]

I once saw two lists, pre-internet days, in Backpacker Mag, tabulating 1) what people are most afraid of (by survey) and 2) what people actually get rescued for (SAR response logs). What was really interesting is that the two lists were almost exactly opposite. People are most afraid of wild animal attacks and lightning, least afraid of slips and falls. Guess what people actually get rescued for?

Anyway to answer the OP, rescue team response logs may be a good indication of how people get in trouble, at least the serious kind. Like Spirit Walker says, lots of people get sick with nasty illnesses or get nasty sprains out there, but are able to hike or limp out under their own power, see the family doctor or get better on their own with rest and OTC meds and never be a statistic. I've done that more than once (twice, actually).

[Rain Man]

With Twitter and Facebook, there is zero chance that a leaf falls on the AT without it getting reported.

That and so many with access to a keyboard and diarrhea of the fingertips.

[Gambit McCrae]

For example one of my friends took a trip with his two brothers to Roan during early September and crushed his ankle in Bradley Gap. Had to hunker down there for the night and volunteer rescue had to drive quads down access points to pick him and his brothers up the next day. 7-9 rescue folks helped and it took all day, never heard about it here.

Met a guy on Springer this Spring, was talking about how Osprey replaced his backpack for free due to a bear destroying it at the Springer Summit the summer before. Never heard about that either lol

[Traveler]

For example one of my friends took a trip with his two brothers to Roan during early September and crushed his ankle in Bradley Gap. Had to hunker down there for the night and volunteer rescue had to drive quads down access points to pick him and his brothers up the next day. 7-9 rescue folks helped and it took all day, never heard about it here.

Met a guy on Springer this Spring, was talking about how Osprey replaced his backpack for free due to a bear destroying it at the Springer Summit the summer before. Never heard about that either lol

These events identifies the issue well. Before emergencies can be tracked in any kind of reliable fashion, they have to be confirmed as actually taking place. In the above the first is a confirmable event, the second being a campfire tale which could have been true or not. Which means "emergency" needs to be better defined.

I don't know if the ATC or other groups have tried to connect all the potential volunteer groups who may be involved in trail rescues, lost hikers, fires, etc., to a data base to monitor these occurrences on the AT. I would imagine its a tough job just to find these groups over a 2,000 mile distance.

[Traveler]

Sorry, hit send before I was ready.

The non-emergency incidents are far more difficult to track as they depend on the honesty of those reporting them, and/or the gullibility of those listening. Being attacked by a bear is likely to be reported, being attacked by a grouse (happened to me in MA in 2010) who was particularly savage and blood thirsty was not reported.

[Gambit McCrae]

These events identifies the issue well. Before emergencies can be tracked in any kind of reliable fashion, they have to be confirmed as actually taking place. In the above the first is a confirmable event, the second being a campfire tale which could have been true or not. Which means "emergency" needs to be better defined.

I don't know if the ATC or other groups have tried to connect all the potential volunteer groups who may be involved in trail rescues, lost hikers, fires, etc., to a data base to monitor these occurrences on the AT. I would imagine its a tough job just to find these groups over a 2,000 mile distance.

First case was emergency, second case not so much, just an example of a bear problem in an area that probably went unmentioned publicly.

[4eyedbuzzard]

... being attacked by a grouse (happened to me in MA in 2010) who was particularly savage and blood thirsty was not reported.We'd better not risk another frontal assault. That grouse is dynamite.

32684

[Odd Man Out]

We'd better not risk another frontal assault. That grouse is dynamite.

32684

I was attacked by a prairie dog at Custer SP, SD. I was just standing on the shoulder of the road, minding my own business, taking prairie dog pictures and one of them walked up and started nibbling on my shoe. I did not report it.

[Traveler]

We'd better not risk another frontal assault. That grouse is dynamite.

32684

LOL! Yes, the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch had to be used to defuse the situation.

[Dogwood]

I once saw two lists, pre-internet days, in Backpacker Mag, tabulating 1) what people are most afraid of (by survey) and 2) what people actually get rescued for (SAR response logs). What was really interesting is that the two lists were almost exactly opposite. People are most afraid of wild animal attacks and lightning, least afraid of slips and falls. Guess what people actually get rescued for....

I hypothesize its' because narrow minded human centric humans tend to see problems as originating from outside themselves rather than seeing themselves refusing knowledge and wisdom to change outcomes as the problem.

Reports of wild animal attacks, lightning, rattlesnake bites, insect bites, flash floods, tornadoes, etc are almost always made to offer heightened drama in the media rather than humanity changing their behavior, in this case changing their behavior to reduce slips, trips and falls.

Now, if the story involves a slip, trip, and fall of a human due to slippery moose scat that might make a story. The moose population is out of control. Researchers theorize slips, trips, and falls can be reduced by reducing the moose population, etc.....