How to avoid becoming a hostage to the forest?
Our region is rich in forests. When going for a walk or hiking in the forest, people often forget about basic safety measures and get lost.
On July 16 at 20:25, rescuers received a report that two women had gone missing in the forest near the village of Novorotye in the Liozno district. Units of the Liozno district emergency situations department and the search and rescue service of the emergency rescue team "Vityaz" were dispatched to the location. As the rescuers reported, contact with the missing persons was maintained by phone, but despite this, the women did not hear the signals emitted by the fire trucks. Shortly thereafter, the Ministry of Emergency Situations workers decided to split into groups and comb the forest, still emitting sound signals. After some time, the women said by phone that they could hear it, and the rescuers went to meet them, and after a while, the lost women came out to them. It was later revealed that the two women from Vitebsk, both born in 1980, had gone to the forest to pick berries and had gotten lost. The women did not require medical assistance.
On July 18 at 15:07, rescuers received a report that a man had gone missing in the forest near the village of Evino in the Gorodok district. A vehicle from the Gorodok district emergency situations department, equipped with a signaling device, was dispatched to the location. Contact with the missing person was maintained by mobile phone by the dispatcher of the operational management center. Upon arrival, the rescuers stopped and continuously activated the siren, and after a short time, the man came out to meet them, and he did not require medical assistance. It was later found out that a couple and their acquaintance, born in 1958, had gone to the forest to pick mushrooms. After some time, as the husband and wife reported, contact with their acquaintance was lost, and after a couple of hours of unsuccessful searches, they decided to seek help from the rescuers.
On July 20 at 8:56, rescuers received a report that a 14-year-old boy had gone missing in the forest near the village of Starina in the Ushachi district. The personnel of the fire emergency rescue post No. 11 of the Ushachi district emergency situations department were immediately dispatched to the location. The rescuers arrived at the forest, where the boy's parents were waiting for them. They reported that they had been picking berries with their son, and after a while, their son disappeared from sight and stopped responding. The rescuers drove as far into the forest as possible and began to activate the signaling device of the tanker. After a short time, they heard the boy's voice – he was calling for his father. The rescuer immediately went to meet him. After a while, the Ministry of Emergency Situations worker saw the boy and led him out of the forest. Visually, the teenager was in a normal condition, and he did not need medical assistance.
To prevent this misfortune from happening to you, it is necessary to follow simple rules:
- Before going into the forest, inform your relatives where you are going and for how long. If you do not return by the appointed time, they will definitely start searching for you.
- Take all necessary items, namely: a compass, a knife, matches, salt, a small food supply, and light spare clothing. Pack matches and clothing in plastic to keep them dry in case of rain. Take a handful of pine candies. They will help suppress hunger if you get lost.
- Dress in bright clothing! The reason is that camouflage significantly complicates the search for the lost person, while bright clothing will allow you to be noticed among the green trees and bushes. And of course, you should wear something on your head (ticks can fall from small trees and bushes), long pants (you may need to push through bushes), and comfortable shoes.
- Look around the area. Before entering the forest, find out where the main landmarks are: roads, rivers, streams, settlements, to schematically imagine the boundaries of the area you will be walking in. Determine the cardinal directions using a compass so that you know which direction to return to.
- do not panic, do not split into groups, stay together;
- stop moving, calm down;
- return along your own tracks to the place where you lost your way;
- if you do not have a map, try to sketch a rough map of the area on paper, fabric, or bark;
- develop a plan of action: continue moving or wait for help;
- determine the cardinal directions and your location;
- remember that notches on trees will lead you to a path or shelter.
The main cardinal directions are: north (nord), south (sud), east (ost), west (west). To determine any cardinal direction, it is enough to know just one accurately. If you are facing north, then south will be behind you, east will be on your right, and west will be on your left.
During the day, in clear, cloudless weather, you can orient yourself by the sun. At night - by the moon and stars. At around seven o'clock in the morning, the sun is always in the east, at 1 PM - in the south, at 7 PM - in the west. The bark of isolated trees is more heavily covered with moss on the north side than on the south side.
The bark of birches is lighter, has fewer spots and cracks on the south side. In spring, snow melts faster on the south side. Ant hills and bee nests are always located on the south side of trees and stones. In spring, flocks of birds fly from the south to the north, and in autumn in the opposite direction. Stones, rocks, wooden, slate, and tile roofs are usually covered with moss on the north side. On coniferous trees, resin is secreted and accumulates in large quantities on the south side. Berries and fruits ripen first on the south side.
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