Every year, many people get lost during their pursuit of nature's bounty and some even require rescuing from deep in the woods – an expensive and usually avoidable use of resources that could probably be better employed elsewhere.
So far this year, firefighters and rescuers have already saved 14 people who got lost in forest or swamp. Last year 61 people were rescued in the forest, including one minor, and in 2022 – 65 people, including one minor.
"Going to pick mushrooms? Take a fully charged mobile phone with you to the forest!" says the VUGD. "If you are lost in a forest or swamp, the first and only call should be to the phone number 112. Calls to relatives or friends drain the phone battery and can therefore complicate and prolong rescue operations."
📱Dosies sēņot? Uz mežu ņem līdzi pilnībā uzlādētu mobilo telefonu!📍Ja esi apmaldījies mežā vai purvā, pirmais un vienīgais zvans jāveic uz tālruņa numuru 112. Zvani radiniekiem vai draugiem izlādē telefona bateriju un līdz ar to var apgrūtināt un paildzināt glābšanas darbus. pic.twitter.com/XPYzj8LqHM
— VUGD (@ugunsdzeseji) August 14, 2024
The VUGD's five-point checklist to avoid getting lost, or to be found as quickly as possible is as follows:
1) Tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return.
2) Take with you a fully charged cellphone, water, chocolate (for energy) and a flashlight. A whistle and compass are also good ideas.
3) Dress in bright colors.
4) Be aware of your surroundings and take note of landmarks such as roads, railway lines, distinctive trees etc.
5) Keep track of the time and don't stay in the forest until it gets dark.
The VUGD has some other tips, too. Rescue operations are carried out together with the State Police so it's worth knowing that rescuers will most often turn on sirens or horns to indicate to people in which direction the exit from the forest is located. Listen carefully and, upon hearing it, move in the direction of the sound signal. During the dark hours, lights will also be turned on.
If necessary, firefighters and rescuers will search for lost people by inspecting the area from above with a drone, which is also equipped with a thermal camera. How quickly a person will be found and rescued is often determined by whether a person has a charged mobile phone with them.
Another tip is to make sure that the function "Location services in emergency situations" is activated on your cellphone in the "Settings" section, which allows the 112 dispatcher to see the approximate location of the caller at the time of the call.
Every resident of Latvia who has a smartphone is invited to download and use the free app "112 Latvija", which provides the user with several options in emergency situations – the ability to call or send a text message to the single emergency call number 112, receive notifications about possible threats and find out how to act. When calling the unified emergency call number 112 from the "112 Latvia" app, dispatchers will see the approximate location of the caller. This will make it possible to provide assistance more promptly to those people who cannot specify their location.
If you do happen to get lost, the most important thing is not to panic. Sit down, pause and calmly try to orient yourself. Do not start walking randomly through the forest – you will likely only get even more lost.
Listen to what is around you – if you hear a highway or the noise of a farm, go there and ask for directions or help.
