How to act in the event of a mountain accident
The practice of mountain sports activities, whether it be hiking, climbing or any other activity, is booming. However, the mountains involve a risks that we must be aware of and prepared for. It is just as important to plan the route and be well prepared as it is to know how to act in the event of a mountain accident.
Because no matter how prepared and experienced we are, and even if we know the route and carry all the equipment, there is always something that can go wrong and beyond our control.
There is no such thing as zero risk in the mountains. Therefore, be prepared to know what to do in the event of an accidentis essential.
Advice on what to do in the event of a mountain accident
When a mountain accident occurs, the first thing to do is to keep calm. This is fundamental, because we will have to think and have a clear mind in order not to make the wrong decisions.
It may help to stop for a moment, take a breath and try to control your anxiety. It is essential that our decisions are not made in haste, haste and panic, because in this way we are more likely to jeopardise your safety, that of the injured person and that of the whole group.
If the accident takes place in a group, we must listen to the expedition leader or the person most experienced in this type of situation. If it is us, we will have to lead the expedition so that no one panics, has another accident, or leads the rest of the group to make bad decisions. If it's not you, listen to what the group leader says and everything will be better.
If the leader of the group is the one who has suffered the accident, the next most experienced person will take on the role of leading the group and making decisions. The need for the emergence of a leader is important for the coordination, organisation and the distribution of tasks.
From here, there is a protocol established and named P.A.S which comes from the acronym Protect, Warn and Rescue.
P.A.S. Protocol Protect, warn and rescue.
Protect
First of all, every effort must be made to ensure that there are no further accidents among the other members of the group and that the injuries of the injured person do not go any further. Think of your safety and that of the injured person. If necessary and the injuries do not make it inadvisable, assess the possibility of moving the casualty to a safe area. Check for consciousness, type of injuries and protect the casualty from hypothermia. Encourage and reassure the casualty. If the casualty is unconscious, put him in a lateral safety position.
Notify
It is necessary to be clear about the strategy for notifying 112 and be concise in what needs to be said, in order to facilitate the work of the rescue team as much as possible..
112 is a free phone number and is the single emergency number for the European Union.. Remember that this is the only telephone number to call for help, as this is where all the rescue services are coordinated.
When you call, the emergency services will want to know your identity, the identity of the victims, what happened, where it happened, the nature of the injuries and other information that may be useful, such as possible terrain obstacles for the helicopter, the weather at the scene, etc. Prepare this information and follow the instructions you are given.
Use your mobile phone only to communicate with 112. Keep an eye on the battery and protect it from the cold so that it does not run out before it is expected to. To facilitate the location, you can communicate with 112 through an application designed for this purpose. The best known is My112This application, developed by Telefónica, is officially recommended by several communities (Madrid, Castilla y León, Balearic Islands, Catalonia, Cantabria, Melilla, Navarre, La Rioja and Castilla-La Mancha). You can find out more in this article on mobile applications for mountaineering we published on his day.
Help
As far as possible we should attend to the wounded person, their wounds and injuries. This we will only do so in the event of life-threatening injuries.If we do not act, the person may die. We will try to stop any bleeding, protect from hypothermia, accompany the victim and convey confidence.
Waiting for help it is important to be visible
Once the injured person has been stabilised, the most important thing is to make himself visible to the rescue services.
To do this, if possible, we will have to mark the area and move to a place where we are clearly visible to those who come to our aid.
Learn the conventional signals in case of accidents:
Critical Judgement
Finally, once we have been rescued, it is highly recommended that we have the much-needed critical judgement. It is useful to take a moment to reflect, discuss what has happened, and think about how best to act in the future, to avoid another accident if possible.
As always, we remind you that you are ultimately responsible for your safety when you go out in the mountains.
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