If you are stranded, stay with your car!

I'm a big CSI fan, and the season premiere was last night. The story line picked up with Sara Sidle pinned where we saw her at the end of the last season, underneath a wrecked car by the hands of the "Miniature Killer".

Well, the character managed to free herself, and then proceeded to trek off into the desert, injured, with no supplies or knowledge of her whereabouts. Yes, it was raining heavilly. Yes, she almost drowned before freeing herself. Yes, she was in dire straits. However, she should have stayed close to the vehicle. As the storyline had it, Sara's colleagues with the LVPD found the car in fairly short order. Meanwhile, Sara is off miles away dying from hyperthermia and dehydration in a 110-degree Nevada desert. Fortunately, they found her before death, so perhaps Jorja Fox's contract was renewed. Fictional story, yes. Bad example of basic survival skills, yes.

I blogged last December about the tragic story of the Kim family. Had they all stayed with their car, they would most likely all be alive today. Your chances of survival increase dramatically if you can stay with or close to your vehicle.

If you are stranded in a vehicle, stay with it if you are in no immediate danger. If you are in immediate danger, move to safety as close by as possible, then return to your vehicle as soon as conditions improve. Cars and trucks in the wild are easier to find; people aren't. Never go seeking help unless you can see it nearby (within 100 meters distance is a good rule of thumb).