SAFETY FIRST
International Distress Signal
Each in the event of an accident or illness in the mountains and help being required give the International Distress Signal.
Six blasts on a whistle (or six shouts or flashes of a torch) followed by a pause of one minute and then a repetition of of the six blasts, shouts or flashes.
If your signals are heard, there should be an answering whistle – three blasts followed by a pause of a minute, repeated several times.
Unless you require assistance do not do anything that could be mistaken for a Distress Signal.
Mobile Phone
It is now possible to register your mobile phone so that you can try to send an emergency 999 text message in areas where the signal is poor. This service was set up initially to help people with hearing impairment but can be used by anyone. Further details are available at the following website: http://www.emergencysms.org.uk/
All you have to do to register is send a text message with the word ‘Register’ to 999 and then respond to the reply.
For confirmation that the service is for walkers and climbers see:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=59071.
You must register your phone in advance – it’s no use trying to text 999 when the emergency occurs if you aren’t registered.
Potassium Permanganate
To purify water, add three or four crystals of potassium permanganate to one litre of water. Leave for thirty minutes, the chemical will stain the water slightly, but the water will then be fit to drink or cook with. To clean cuts and abrasions, or treat fungal infections, dissolve the crystals in a glass of water one by one, stop adding crystals as soon as the water turns purple. Bath the wound in the solution.
To signal distress in snowy terrain, sprinkle potassium permanganate dissolved in water onto the snow. It will stain the snow a vivid purple as a marker for search parties.
Using a mobile phone in an emergency by Lyle Brotherton.