I completed my first day of wilderness first aid training with the Red Cross and it was a real eye-opener.  The basic premise is that professional help may be hours or days away and an accident victim needs to be treated, stabilized, and maybe evacuated in the mean time.  This is knowledge I hope to never need but it seemed like a good idea to have this training as I venture further away from civilization.  The injured party that I someday help could be me!

Topics today included victim assessment, evacuation, shock and heart attack, chest injuries, head/neck/spinal injuries, and wounds and infections.  My practice victim – a kayaker that was ejected, impaled by a tree branch, partially drown, and badly cut on the arm – lived but would have been much better off if Johnny and Roy from “Emergency!” were there.  Still, he was better off than if treated by Beavis & Butthead (or no one).

Amputation isn’t part of the training so in the “127 Hours” scenario I’ll still have to wing it.  🙂