It was the first mountain vet rule “Plan the trip and report where you are going” and not the mobile phone, which was decisive for the Red Cross saving the life of a woman and her dog on a ski trip in Golsfjellet just before the winter holidays. The woman in her 60s had fallen and injured herself. Using her mobile phone, she alerted the police herself, who in turn asked the Red Cross for search help. But the call and connection was lost. Tracking was futile. – Report where you are going Most of us have a mobile phone or a smart watch. But trusting them too much – if you were to get lost in the mountains – can simply be between life and death. The Red Cross will emphasize this, especially now during the winter holidays: Don’t put all your security in electronic scams. – Report where you are going. It is crucial because we then know where to start looking, points out Cecilie Engum Blakkestad in the Red Cross. Since 1992, Cecilie Engum Blakkestad has worked in the healthcare system. Today she works as a nurse anesthetist and a volunteer in Gol and Hemsedal Red Cross. Photo: Red Cross In 2021, the Red Cross was called out on 1,773 search and rescue operations. The highest number they have ever recorded. Chilled, injured and helpless On the afternoon of 10 February, the police tweeted that they had launched the search operation in Golsfjellet. The message is addressed to the public; almost like a desperate cry for help. “We don’t know where she is or who she is.” The only thing they knew was that a woman, with a dog, had injured herself and was helpless somewhere in Golsfjellet. In the dark, in bad weather. The police wanted tips from the public. Photo: Screenshot Depending on the audience Five snowmobiles and six crews searched the field, almost at random. The term “like looking for a needle in a haystack” could not be more descriptive. The Twitter message reached many people as online newspapers conveyed the message in droves. Among others, the husband of the woman. He knew the woman’s regular route and contacted the police. An area was narrowed down and the skier was located. At 19.50 the rescue teams were on their way with air ambulance personnel on snowmobiles. The ambulance waiting at the nearest road. The missing woman was found on a well-known hiking trail, 1,200 meters above sea level. Photo: Red Cross – The strongest human encounter I’ve had – It was bad weather. Cold, sour and blowing snow, says Blakkestad, who spotted something. She jumped off the scooter. Walked over to the presumed missing. – When she answers me … an absolutely indescribable feeling. I am moved when I talk about it now. It was strong. The mountain rules 1. Plan your trip and report where you are going. 2. Adapt the tour according to ability and conditions. 3. Pay attention to weather and avalanche warnings. 4. Be prepared for storms and cold, even on short trips. 5. Bring the necessary equipment to be able to help yourself and others. 6. Make safe road choices. Recognize avalanche-prone terrain and unsafe ice. 7. Use a map and compass. Always know where you are. 8. Turn in time, there is no shame in turning. 9. Conserve your strength and seek shelter if necessary. – It was the strongest human meeting I have had in all these years. We saved lives that night, says a clearly affected Blakkestad. It was to become even stronger when she saw a black dog’s head sticking out of the snow. Beneath the snow lay the woman and the dog in a spoon. – The bikkja does not leave its owner. I think it was crucial to her survival. The warmth the dog gave her, notes Blakkestad. Decisive, then, was the mountain law’s first commandment: “Plan the trip and report where you are going”. – Mountain laws trump all technology. Red Cross has increased preparedness Operative manager in Buskerud Red Cross, Odd Inge Blakkestad, says they have hundreds of volunteers on standby now during the winter holidays. Odd Inge Blakkestad is operational manager at Buskerud Red Cross. Photo: private – We have crews ready and have moved equipment a little closer to where people are hiking, so that if something happens, we have a shorter route to move out.
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– Mountain laws trump all technology – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
