TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
Search and rescue crews
say yesterday's efforts are the beginning of their busy season. As the weather warms up and more residents
start heading out on to the trail, officials want everyone to know and do more
to be safe.
The Catalinas are a
popular spot to hike, and they are the number one place where search and rescue
crews are sent to find missing hikers.
To help your chances these
are the three things you want to bring with them, plenty of water, there is no
such thing as too much. A cell phone, so
a person can call if they get lost; and a map, it doesn't do a person any good
if they look at it and then leave it in their car.
But safety actually starts
before heading out on the trail, pre-plan.
Let someone know where they are going and when they are expected to be
back. That way if they don't come back
on time, search crews know where to start looking, a big advantage in finding a
missing person quickly.
And by know where they are
going, a hiker sets themselves up to avoid what officials say is the most
common mistake.
"Most people
overestimate. They think they can do 15
miles in these mountains, it's not the same as walking 15 miles in town," said
Shawn Degan, from Pima County's Search and Rescue.
If the worst scenario does
happen and a hiker gets lost, search crews say the best thing the person can do
is to stay put.
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