First Aid

[Dusty]

How does that park handle medical emergencies? Is there cell phone service on the island? I'm planning next summers trip and was wondering how emergency situations are handled.

[Capt Don]

There are actually many resources available depending on the severity of the situation. There is, for all intents and purposes, NO cell service on the island so remote communication is not that good. The best methods are other hikers in your group or the area that can go for help, there are trail crews, rangers and others in the back country than can radio for assistance. A handheld VHF radio may be useful, channel 16 is monitored by the park, the USCG and boats in the area. Getting the injured person first aid can be accomplished by park boat if near water, by trail by the use of a park litter. If the situation is serious and immediate and/or extensive medical attention is required things are limited, the closest hospital is in Thunder Bay, Ontario. In extreme cases they are able to transport via helicopter from Windigo or Rock Harbor as these two areas have sufficient space to land a helicopter. The helicopter scenario is rare, next rarest is a park boat transporting a victim to Grand Portage where there is ambulance service to the closest US hospital. Most injuries are twists, strains and sprains, the injured usually wait out the rest of their group or get the boat home early. All in all medical assistance is more than adequate, but one must also remember that this park is over 99% wilderness and there are some trade offs in a wilderness, one being no hospital at the end of the block.

[srparr]

There is no reliable cell service on the island (aside from some anecdotal stories about reception in certain places with certain carriers). Nothing that can be relied upon in an emergency.

There are at least two types of emergencies you need to plan on: something that happens to you on the island, and something that happens back home.

On our trip this last September we had an emergency situation crop up back home for one of my buddies. Our spouses called the park service, who looked at the route info we had left at home (and probably at the route we listed when getting our permit).

The rangers did a magnificent job locating us (at Little Todd, we were travelling the Minong from Wendigo to McCargo), and took my buddy out by boat to Rock Harbor. After a phone call home to find out the situation, he got a ride on the Queen to Copper Harbor, where some friendly people he met on the boat gave him a lift to Houghton where our car was parked (we had flown to the island). He got an early morning flight out from the Houghton airport the next morning.

We found out later that the rangers had sent people to other campsites that we might have been at, but since we had followed the route on our permit it wasn't too hard to locate us. Fortunately they arrived before we broke camp that morning.

We've never had a medical emergency in the backcountry, but the advice I've heard from others is to get to the coast and contact a boater with a radio. Obviously campsites with docks are good places to look! I believe the ranger who was posted at Daisy Farm the last couple years has EMT experience.

I was a Malone Bay a few years ago when a call came in about a kid getting severely burned when boiling water accidentally dumped on him at Siskiwit Bay. The Malone ranger boated to the campsite, provided first aid, and ended up evacuating him and his father to Houghton for treatment. I got this info second hand, but it is clear to me that the rangers do an amazing job with limited access to the island. I would plan on being self-sufficient, but the rangers are equipped for emergencies and do their best to help under primitive conditions.

[Dusty]

Good to know. Thank you both for the information. I will paas this on to my family.
Dusty

[Nick]

A well stocked first aid kit is a must, including pain meds (Vicoden), broad spectrum anti-biotic pills and creames, anti-diarrheals, plus the usual dressings, band-aids, etc.

There are emergency personal location beacons that you can order. But those should only be used in an extreme emergency where immediate evacuation is necessary.

[DonNewcomb]

While there is no reliable cell phone service, with the correct equipment you can make calls from many places on the island. See this thread for more information.
However, even if you could call 911, who's going to come to rescue you? The rangers aren't going to hop on motorcycles and rush to your location. They will have to pack in just the same as you. The bottom line is that you and the other campers need to be prepared to self-evacuate, at least as far as campground frequented by VII. It's up to you and the other backpackers to have enough knowledge, supplies and medicines to get someone to medical care. I carry meds for pain, nausea, diarrhea and constipation, plus limited first aid supplies. My fall-back plan is that my hiking buddy is a physician. Good if I'm the one who's hurt or sick, too bad if he's the victim.

[Dusty]

This is useful information..thx to all!