Hunter survives 4 days alone in Idaho with a broken leg
09-24-2015, 08:12 AM
#1
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: south eastern PA
Posts: 15,436
Hunter survives 4 days alone in Idaho with a broken leg
A bow-hunting trip in the Idaho wilderness turned into a test of faith for one man, who survived four days with a broken leg before help arrived.
John Sain, 50, was miles from any trails when his foot got lodged between two logs last Thursday, snapping the bones in his right leg. The pain was unbearable.
"I honestly didn't think I was going to make it," Sain told NBC affiliate KTVB.
With no cell phone service, Sain began weighing his options.
""Contemplated on just ending it right there," he told the station.
The hunter prepared his goodbyes. But as he wrote farewell letters to his wife and two children, he found the motivation to persevere.
"There was no way. There was no way," he said. "I was going to make it."
Using two branches and tattered cloth, he fashioned a splint for his broken leg, and began to crawl. Armed with his survival kit that he had packed for the hunting trip, a little bit of food, and a water purifier, he dragged himself through the rugged terrain. When night fell, he lit a fire to keep warm.
After the fourth day, dehydrated and barely able to tolerate any more pain, he said, "I was done."
That afternoon, a welcome sight appeared: Two men on motorcycles found Sain.
Sain is now recovering in a Boise hospital from leg surgery, surrounded by his family. He said prayer kept him going during his ordeal.
"Thank God," he said. "I'm a faithful man. I prayed the whole time. It was definitely my fuel."
Elizabeth Chuck
John Sain, 50, was miles from any trails when his foot got lodged between two logs last Thursday, snapping the bones in his right leg. The pain was unbearable.
"I honestly didn't think I was going to make it," Sain told NBC affiliate KTVB.
With no cell phone service, Sain began weighing his options.
""Contemplated on just ending it right there," he told the station.
The hunter prepared his goodbyes. But as he wrote farewell letters to his wife and two children, he found the motivation to persevere.
"There was no way. There was no way," he said. "I was going to make it."
Using two branches and tattered cloth, he fashioned a splint for his broken leg, and began to crawl. Armed with his survival kit that he had packed for the hunting trip, a little bit of food, and a water purifier, he dragged himself through the rugged terrain. When night fell, he lit a fire to keep warm.
After the fourth day, dehydrated and barely able to tolerate any more pain, he said, "I was done."
That afternoon, a welcome sight appeared: Two men on motorcycles found Sain.
Sain is now recovering in a Boise hospital from leg surgery, surrounded by his family. He said prayer kept him going during his ordeal.
"Thank God," he said. "I'm a faithful man. I prayed the whole time. It was definitely my fuel."
Elizabeth Chuck
09-24-2015, 10:46 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
That right there is why I always advocate now for ANYONE hunting alone to invest in an emergency communications unit of some sort. Be it an emergency beacon or sat phone. Either works in places where there's no cell reception. Sat phones USED to be insanely expensive but you can get emergency use plans now for very little cost. Those emergency beacons use the same sat phone tech and are very cheap as well. BOTH have GPS location setups that emergency personnel can turn on and pin your location to within 10 feet.
09-24-2015, 10:52 AM
#5
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: south eastern PA
Posts: 15,436
I have a good friend that hunts all over the west, north west and southwest for birds. He goes for months at a time, just him and his dogs and is almost always alone except for when another friend meets him for a couple of days. For about 3 years I have been trying to talk him into an emergency beacon. They are small and not that expensive. Just think about the pain this guy would have saved himself if he had had one.
09-28-2015, 11:14 PM
#6
Spike
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 2
This man is a real hero.I'm glad that everything alright .This article has convinced me to buy emergency beacon..I have already ordered some equipment for my rifle on http://www.atncorp.com/, so I hope that my hunting will be calm and without interference.
10-12-2015, 07:03 AM
#9
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Altadena CA
Posts: 494
That right there is why I always advocate now for ANYONE hunting alone to invest in an emergency communications unit of some sort. Be it an emergency beacon or sat phone. Either works in places where there's no cell reception. Sat phones USED to be insanely expensive but you can get emergency use plans now for very little cost. Those emergency beacons use the same sat phone tech and are very cheap as well. BOTH have GPS location setups that emergency personnel can turn on and pin your location to within 10 feet.