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German Shepherd AKC Dogs and Puppies |
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"Take this trouble for me: SEARCH AND RESCUE DOGS The Incredible story of one man's will to live & his incredible rescue.MY 7 DAYS OF HELL - - LOST IN AN ICY WILDERNESS
as thy look for Jason--like a needle in a haystack
JASON Rasmussen went for a stroll in the woods looking for a little solitude - and stumbled into a seven-day nightmare that nearly cost him his life---- Rasmussen, a 29-year-old medical student, lost his way while hiking in the vast Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota's rugged north country. For a full agonizing week, he endured arctic-like cold, a blizzard, a wind and ice storm, and gnawing hunger. His only shelter was a cramped space in a huge rotted tree trunk he hollowed out with his bare hands. TUESDAY: Jason's battle with nature began when he set out for what was supposed to be a three-day hike. "It was" he says, "a chance to recover from the frenzy of third year medical school. " Before he left, he made a lucky decision - he gave his parents a map of his planned trip and instructions, that if he wasn't back in three days, they should "call the sheriff." From that point, his adventure headed downhill. On the trail, Jason took a wrong turn and got lost. "I stumbled into a bog, carrying a heavy full pack . Summoning all his strength he trudged through the soupy, icy-cold bog until it gave way to some dry land where he pitched his tent. WEDNESDAY: He decided to search for the main trail leaving almost all his supplies behind at the tent. "I took some crackers, cocoa mix, a can of tuna, two Tootsie Rolls, a Swiss army knife and a small whistle," said Jason.
GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG LED RESCUE TEAM
After searching, for two hours, he found no sign of the trail. He headed back to his base camp and got lost again! "Things soon got worse. I walked into another bog and almost went under. My boots and feet were soaked. I had no shelter and it was only an hour before dark." "Fortunately, I spotted a large dead pine tree. The trunk was still intact, but the inside was filled with rotted wood. I started grabbing chunks of this rot, working as fast as I could to beat the dark, to carve out a hole. By nightfall, I could crawl inside and it saved my life. " " A raging storm woke me in the middle of the night. The wind was howling, thrashing the treetops, and all around me I heard the thunder of trees crashing. " " The tremors shook my body - and opened numerous cracks in the trunk I was in, letting splinters of air shoot in through them, stabbing at me like knives. It was cold, painful, and terrifying - I knew if one those trees fell on my log it would kill me. THURSDAY " there was more snow everywhere, more than 10 inches, and all kinds of fallen trees. My feet were still wet, and I'd lost the feeling in them from the cold. Is this a test? I asked God. If You are really out there, help me! The snow lasted all day as I lay shivering in my log."
LIVED IN A TREE: Stunned looking Jason Rasmussen (blue cap) sits beside the hallowed out-tree trunk that saved his life. He was found by a German Shepherd led rescue team.
FRIDAY "More snow I was ready to give up. Then about 9:30 a.m., a plane flew overhead! I scrambled out of my tree, danced around, screamed and blew my whistle. But the forest was too dense for the rescuers to spot me. " SATURDAY: " I finished my crackers. Despite my thirst, I was afraid to eat snow, fearing the cold might plunge me into deadly hypothermia. Then just before dark, I made what could have been a fatal error - I ate the tuna. My heart began pounding, and I was panting for breath. The salt in the tuna had made my dehydration worse! I crammed handfuls of snow into my mouth as fast as I could. " SUNDAY: " I was losing hope. I got my pen and pulled some bark off a couple of birch trees and began writing goodbye letters to my parents. I still hadn't finished them when night fell. " MONDAY: " It was so cold I couldn't start writing again. I didn't ship shivering for a second. The only thing that kept me going was my determination to finish my goodbye letters. TUESDAY "I was convinced it was all over - I’d finish my letters and die. I didn't think things could get any worse, but that night they did. I was asleep in the tree log. I woke and heard something hitting the top of the log - it was pouring!" A shivering Jason was getting drenched and it was so bitterly cold that the water quickly turned to ice. WEDNESDAY: "All I could do was jump up and down and rub my legs furiously, trying to get some heat into them. " Once again - on the seventh day of his ordeal - Jason's hopes were shattered when a rescue plane I failed to spot him. Then suddenly he heard barking dogs. "Then I heard a voice shouting for me like an angel from heaven. " 'Hellooooo, " I yelled. " I need help. I'm lost. " "Minutes later, I saw red jackets coming toward me. I have never seen anything so wonderful in my life as that search party. They got me out on ATVs, and a chopper flew me to the hospital." Jason was treated for frostbite and was soon on his way to recovery.
THE SMILE SAYS IT ALL: Jason after his ordeal-and on his way to the hospital to be treated for frostbite.
"Will I go hiking again? Absolutely!" he insists. "But I'll never again go alone!" Said Mark Haskins, the first rescuer to reach Jason: "We were pretty sure we'd be bringing home a body. We were all amazed. Jason kept his wits about him - he's quite a guy!" - WILLIAM BARNHILL March 2002
A time might come when we need the assistance of one of these courageous teams. Support Southwest Rescue Dogs. If you would like information on becoming a member, or to make a donation, contact Scott or Tonya at (520) 579-1201. If you would like to make a donation, please mail it to: Southwest Rescue Dogs Inc. P.O. Box 64120 Tucson, Arizona 85728 You may also contact the Pima County Sheriffs Department in Tucson, Arizona.
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