This is why I bring a satellite phone to Quetico.

My wife Linda and I have been going to BWCA and Quetico for many years. For the last 10 years or so, we have rented a satellite phone for the trip. The phone is for emergencies but since sat phones can receive text messages free of charge, we have the weather forecast sent to the phone each day. We don't call people and people don't call us. The phone only gets turned on once each day to receive the weather forecast.

On August 21, we were on the eighth day of a Quetico trip. We had not seen anyone for the last five days. We were portaging into the north end of Kett from the west side. The portage is very steep and downhill. I was carrying a pack and the canoe. Halfway down the hill, I set the canoe down and said, "this is dangerous, this does not look safe", because the hill was very steep and specifically because there was a portion that was smooth rock at a 45 degree angle and covered with wet leaves. I turned around and went down backwards on my hands and knees. I waited at the bottom of the rock to assist Linda. We are both 65 years old. She was carrying a very heavy pack. She decided to go down the rock sideways.

She took the first step, her foot slipped, and in an instant, she was on her back with a broken ankle. The anklebones were shattered and the ankle was dislocated so it was dangling.

I got the sat phone out, went down the portage to the lake, and started calling the emergency numbers on a list we keep with the phone. The first place I was able to reach was LaTourell's on Moose Lake. LaTourell's has good land line phone service but not so good cell service so they were unable to send text messages to the phone. LaTourell's said they would notify someone. Then I phoned a relative who was able to coordinate with LaTourell's and send text messages to the phone to update us on the rescue.
I propped the phone up at the lake to receive messages and went back down the portage to stay with Linda. Now and then, I would go back to the phone to check for messages. For three hours, she laid on her back, in the dirt, on the side of a steep hill, holding her ankle to keep the bones in place. When a floatplane arrived, they strapped her to a backboard and we carried her to the lake. The portage landing is very narrow, and the water gets deep quickly and she had to keep her leg straight so the only place she could fit into the canoe was the stern seat. She had to paddle herself and two emergency responders to the plane. It was an ordeal getting her from the canoe into the plane.

We ended up in Atikokan Central hospital with only the wet dirty, stinky clothes on our backs. All our gear was left at the portage. The doctor was able to stabilize the ankle enough so she could be transported. Relatives drove 12 hours round trip to bring Linda to Regions hospital in Saint Paul.

The emergency evacuation was free and if they had enough time they would have gone back to retrieve the canoe and gear free of charge but there were two more emergencies that day so they were not able to retrieve the gear as part of the free service. The next day I paid $1,000 for the same pilot and floatplane to bring me back to Kett to retrieve the canoe and gear and drop me off at Prairie Portage (the plane is not allowed to cross the border). LaTourell's sent a tow boat up to get me back to my car which was parked near LaTourell's.

I got to Regions hospital around the same time that Linda got there. She had three hours of surgery. The first two weeks she is required to keep her ankle elevated 23 hours per day. She won't be able to put any weight on the ankle for 8 weeks but she should make a full recovery and should be able to canoe and portage by next summer.

Wow, what a story. I am glad your wife made it out and will be back next summer in canoe country.

Yes happens that fast.

Two summers ago my tripping partner slipped on a rock slope.

Fell hard luckily did not break any thing but was bruised bad enough that we had to cut are trip short.

Glad you made it out.

ArrowheadPaddler: "Wow, what a story. I am glad your wife made it out and will be back next summer in canoe country."

+1. Hooray for sat communication and emergency responders!

Ausable: "

ArrowheadPaddler: "Wow, what a story. I am glad your wife made it out and will be back next summer in canoe country."

+1. Hooray for sat communication and emergency responders!"

+2

What a challenge, well met and well told.

RC might be preaching to the choir here. To many feel outside communication will ruin "their trip". I know a first responded last year that went on a bwca rescue. He had to leave a family members wedding. I never heard him whining about it ruining his day.

It sounds like you did everything right. I so happy your wife will be okay and the two of you are already talking about next year. Anyone taking a wilderness trip with you should feel comfort with your fast thinking and good sense. I seen people who projected themselves smart people of the woods crumble in lesser situations.

Yes thank the first responders and the floatplane pilot. Also a big thank you goes out to LaTourell's . They go above and beyond any of the other outfitters when it come to emergencies. Give boats and motors. Setting up rescue base at their Moose lake company. Opening Prairie Portage at all hours of the night. Also man power and local knowledge. If looking for a outfitter please look at LaTourells for these reason and their superior service.

Again RC I am glad everyone is okay and talking about next years trip.

JIM P.

RC, how was your wife's pain while she waited on the portage trail and how was it when they carried her out of there?

I think it's scary that you recognized a dangerous point on the portage, took major precautions, and it still snapped her ankle. That's one nasty stretch of portage.

Glad everything turned out ok in the end

Glad that it all worked out in the end and I wish your wife a speedy recovery! It's no fun being laid up with an injury like that.

Sorry to hear it happened, but glad everything seems OK now. Kudos to everyone who assisted in the rescue. Thanks for the report and information.

RC,

Wow, what an epic story! Definitely a bad situation that was handled well. I like that route through Kett, but you could wait for days before another tripper comes through.

I hope you wife's complete recovery goes as fast as possible.

Thanks for sharing your story, hope your wife has a smooth recovery. Sounds like you were as prepared and handled the situation as good as humanly possible.

T

What a bum deal. I hope this heals to not be a big issue down the road. Incredible testimony for having something like a sat phone or plb along on about any trip.

Thanks for sharing your story, glad everything turned out more-or-less OK and I hope your wife's recovery goes well.

I hope the following isn't an impolite question, but I'm very curious about the "free evac" part of your story.

We recently started bringing an InReach and have wondered about the potential cost of an evac - this would be a factor in deciding whether or not to call for help if "something happened", also depending on severity of the "something", how far in we are etc.

You said the emergency evac was free and they would have even gone back for gear if they had the time. Do you (or anyone?) know if this is standard procedure, for either QPP or BWCA? Do evacuees ever get charged for their evac?

If this is the wrong time and place for this question, I understand and can re-post in it's own thread. Don't mean to hijack...

TK

thistlekicker: "You said the emergency evac was free and they would have even gone back for gear if they had the time. Do you (or anyone?) know if this is standard procedure, for either QPP or BWCA? Do evacuees ever get charged for their evac?
TK"

Good question TK. Two guys flew in with the pilot. One of the guys works for Quetico park and he made it sound like whenever there was an emergency that required a plane, the park hired the plane for the entire day. They can use the plane as long as there is daylight. After they rescued us, they had two more emergencies. They didn't finish the last one until it was getting dark. If they did not have the other emergencies, they would have used the plane to retrieve the canoe and gear. The Quetico park guy said as long as they have the plane, the rescue and gear retrieval is free, but only for the same day.

missmolly: "RC, how was your wife's pain while she waited on the portage trail and how was it when they carried her out of there?

I think it's scary that you recognized a dangerous point on the portage, took major precautions, and it still snapped her ankle. That's one nasty stretch of portage. "

She said her pain was tolerable because of all the adrenaline. After she got to the hospital the pain got worse.

I've seen some rough portages but I have never before actually said that I thought a portage was dangerous or unsafe.

Thanks, everyone for the kind words of support.

Thanks for sharing and glad that your preparation paid off. I personally know the ankle docs at Regions and.... they’re okay I guess :).

thistlekicker: "
You said the emergency evac was free and they would have even gone back for gear if they had the time. Do you (or anyone?) know if this is standard procedure, for either QPP or BWCA? Do evacuees ever get charged for their evac?

"

So there are valid ethical concerns behind charging for SAR services, and i think in most places in North America it is a free service unless obviously frivolous or misused. The funding for these services can be government/military/or private groups, but the people who run rescues are usually volunteering their time and effort because they are passionate about being outdoors and helping others. A good lot of humans. It’s pretty cool they would have flown you back for the gear- that part I don’t think is usual.

Wow! What an ordeal. Glad it went ok in the end and you were able to get help fast. I have seen many portages that are dangerous in my time. Add moss or rain and you have an accident. This is the reason I bring and wear ankle support hiking boots with the laces tied up all the way on portages.

Savage Voyageur: "Wow! What an ordeal. Glad it went ok in the end and you were able to get help fast. I have seen many portages that are dangerous in my time. Add moss or rain and you have an accident. This is the reason I bring and wear ankle support hiking boots with the laces tied up all the way on portages. "

Great point. There is no one 'right way' to portage, but I am always surprised by the footwear that people choose to wear.

Super glad for the happy ending. Also gave me food for thought about having a way to communicate, especially on solos.