What If... Lost in Alaska

1. What if... You and your best friend decide to do a one week guided hunt in remote Alaska. You are both in good physical condition and have been hunting together for 5 years. You have contracted with a guide and will be flown to your hunting location by bush plane where you will be left until your guide radios for pick-up. After takeoff, your guide instructs the pilot to drop you at an alternate spot. On landing at your drop location, a lake landing, your plane hooks a deadhead on the Port pontoon at 60 Knots, spinning the plane and causing the Port side wing to dig into the water. The pilot is killed in the crash, your guide drowns unable to exit the sinking plane, and most of your gear sinks with the plane in 160 feet of water. You and your buddy manage to get to shore, but are completely soaked. Temperatures are in the mid 40's but you know they will drop with the sunset. You both have 10” sheath knives, .44 Magnum revolvers in shoulder rigs but only the rounds in the pistols. Your buddy managed to drag one dry bag to shore with him and it contained one change of clothing and dry boots, one -40 degree sleeping bag, and one Zunden 1/2” fire starter. What steps do you and your buddy take to survive with the knowledge that your bush pilot may not have filed a flight plan, your guide is dead, you are wet and knowing that there are predator in the immediate area? What is your first priority, second, third, what's the plan, etc.?
   

 

Bear bait?????

 

Fire... Definitely! Have to get dry and have a source of heat for the coming night.

Shelter.. Initially, maybe a lean-to but what about there only being one sleeping bag?

Water.. Might be an issue if you can't find something to boil water in. Might search out a spring or spring fed stream.

Food ... Have to maintain your strength, fishing, hunting, but few rounds of ammo. Need to build weapons, maybe but, which ones?

 

You have a 1/2' Zunden fire rod from the dry bag..

 

First understand, that there WILL BE A SEARCH... initiated by Alaska SAR Troopers & The Civil Air Patrol, plus every Bush Pilot in the area...when the Bush Pilot doesn’t return on scheduale.... Second, because there is NO EPIRB/ELT Signal, the searchers will know that the aircraft is in the water, and submerged... Third, they will NOT suspend the search for at least three days, and will look at multiple alternate sites... So, Build two fires, but only light one, for warmth... Keep the second one as a Signal Fire once you hear the search Aircraft, are heard overhead... Stay where you are, do NOT leave th e site for at least a week, especially since you are unfamiliar with the area, and have just basic hnting experience, and NO ALASKA BUSH experience...The SAR Folks will be looking for Heat Signitures using FLIR with night flights over the effected areas... If near the Coast it will be the USCG DOING THE SEARCH, If it is inland. then it will be US ARMY Choppers doing the search.... Gather whatever is available for insulation and bedding... (Evergreen Needles, Branches Brush, Grass, etc) Do not waste ANY Ammunition trying for food, untill at least a week has gone by...You may need every round you have down the road, and food is NOT an issue for the first week...

 

The plane and gear is 160 feet under water.... Some parts, might float to the surface later, though. Maybe some gear bags, too.

 

I could have just said 60 feet. At that depth it would be equally unreachable... It's just a number...