Georgia is known for its outdoor beauty. From its expansive natural coastline to the rolling peaks in the north, much of this land is made available for use by the general public. In fact, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources reports that approximately 1.85 million acres of federal land and 565,000 acres of state property are open for use by those seeking to soak up the state’s outdoor adventures. In addition, the world-famous Appalachian Trail begins in in the North Georgia Mountains, and rambles on for 79 miles before continuing up through Tennessee.
“Georgia is a very unique state,” said Don Strength, Ge
orgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency field coordinator for the northeast area of the state. “You can go from the city of Atlanta, to a totally different world in less than an hour. And what happens when people come up to enjoy the beautiful nature – which I don’t blame them, they should – is they’re just not prepared for this type of environment.”
Those venturing outdoors are often unprepared not only for the dangers of the wild such as cliffs, rushing rivers, wildlife, confusing terrain, and weather, Strength said, but also unexpected health challenges that go along with outdoor activity such as dehydration, overheating and accidental injury. “It can be just as dangerous as it is beautiful,” he said.
It’s hard to estimate just how many resources have been used to recover and come to the aid of outdoor recreationalists. Strength has assisted with approximately 15 search and rescue operations since the beginning of the year, but that number does not include the numerous responses led solely by local agencies, and those responses in which responders were dispatch solely to offer immediate assistance.
One agency that’s regularly involved in outdoor recovery is the U.S. Forestry Service, which encourages those heading into a wooded area to tell someone who isn’t going on the trip the destination, itinerary, and even specifics like the make, model, and year of the car used to get there.
Strength adds that even downloading an application that can display precise latitude and longitude coordinates could be helpful in communicating exactly where you are to searchers if you’re able to get a signal. Relying solely on your cell phone’s GPS often fails since that requires cell phone towers to triangulate a signal around the phone. That can be a challenge when hiking in mountainous or hilly regions.
What seems to put hikers in danger the most is hikers themselves. While natural occurrences do pose a threat, it’s often the lack of preparation and practical consideration that causes a problem. One of the biggest operations Strength worked was searching for a long time hunter who experienced an unexpected medical issue while alone on the trail.
“It happens more frequently than I think most people realize,” said Strength, a Northeast Georgia local and avid hiker himself, who encourages anyone planning to head outdoors to take time to make a plan and prepare appropriately.
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