sledder missing in Revy - FOUND Dec 10 - RIP Travis

BCAV

Active VIP Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2013
Messages
226
Reaction score
218
Location
Carrot River,SK
i'm thinking a sat phone or spot would have solved his problems unless he had a heart attack or something medical that immobilized him. Something to we were talking about? If sleds had been allowed on the hill the next day he may have heard them and would have been able to walk towards the sound if he was disoriented on where he was? I'm betting he didn't survive the first night on the hill but thats just a guess.

im not 100% sure but i think they started searching on monday so sunday there may have been sleds in the area as he went missing sat from what i have heard
 

tater

Active VIP Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2009
Messages
488
Reaction score
737
Location
Okotoks
I'm thinking a Sat phone or Spot would have solved his problems UNLESS he had a heart attack or something medical that immobilized him. Something to we were talking about? If sleds had been allowed on the hill the next day he may have heard them and would have been able to walk towards the sound if he was disoriented on where he was? I'm betting he didn't survive the first night on the hill but thats just a guess.
fix

i think you are right about not making it through first night. He was not far from cabin.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Turts

Active VIP Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2012
Messages
787
Reaction score
881
Location
Cochrane, Ab
Question
Even with a sat phone, if you don't know where you are(gps coordinates) how do you send rescuers to your location?
Yes, I'm sure you could get them into the general area eventually but....
 

B3ntTw1g

Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2015
Messages
14
Reaction score
22
Location
Sherwood Park
I use iridium 9575 extreme sat phone it has an sos button on it and it also gives you your gps location. I believe there are a bunch of other brands of phones that also can give you your coordinates as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Keith Brown

Active VIP Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2014
Messages
696
Reaction score
1,686
Location
Okotoks Alberta
I get it that discussing what went wrong can be helpful in preventing incidences like this in the future. The fact is we do not have the information that the RCMP had prior to closing down the mountain and we most probably never will. We also probable will never know the cause of Travis death. The family’s privacy trumps all other information as it should. To judge the response of the RCMP and SAR based on conjecture is ridiculous and naïve
 

banditpowdercoat

Active VIP Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Messages
320
Reaction score
717
Location
Malakwa BC
To quash some of this speculation on what happened, and to apply some learning to move forward as a sledding community. My group and another group were in the same area searching. My group stopped for lunch, the other group carried on and were the ones who found him. In talking with the persons after, his helmet was on his handlebar strap, barely visible out of the snow. Sled was completely burried due to the amount of fallen snow etc. Side panels were removed and he had made a shelter out of them in a tree well with his shovel sticking up at the entrance to give sign of where he was. Other than that, I have no knowledge if he was hurt or what, but from the info I had recieved from the finders, it looks like he tried to wait it out and did do some smart things in hopes of surviving and being found.

I am sorry if this info should not be posted as its not Police Released info, but it is info I got direct from the finding party when the call to RCMP and SAR was made that he was located.
 

slednek

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
307
Reaction score
153
Location
West of Stony Plain
Although we will never know exactly what happened and the family's privacy needs to be respected, there have been remarks regarding if he had a beacon, if it was on, was he stuck, did he run out of gas etc... These are a few things that I would like to know, if this info is allowed to be shared or is available.
If I'm out of line I apologize.
 

tex78

Active VIP Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2010
Messages
17,570
Reaction score
17,029
Location
DA Moose B.C
His beacon was on and still transmitting Is what one article said.
Yes I read that too, but the guys that found him never said ya or nay
To quash some of this speculation on what happened, and to apply some learning to move forward as a sledding community. My group and another group were in the same area searching. My group stopped for lunch, the other group carried on and were the ones who found him. In talking with the persons after, his helmet was on his handlebar strap, barely visible out of the snow. Sled was completely burried due to the amount of fallen snow etc. Side panels were removed and he had made a shelter out of them in a tree well with his shovel sticking up at the entrance to give sign of where he was. Other than that, I have no knowledge if he was hurt or what, but from the info I had recieved from the finders, it looks like he tried to wait it out and did do some smart things in hopes of surviving and being found.

I am sorry if this info should not be posted as its not Police Released info, but it is info I got direct from the finding party when the call to RCMP and SAR was made that he was located.
Huh, guess the Ummmmmm teen posts of me saying this others can't read


RCMP, blah blah blah




We all could use the info, no matter what it says, to improve ourselves as a group and as a single





But come on guys, realistically Travis is the only one that knows, no matter what RCMP csi says or come up with
 

medler

I love guns
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
17,673
Reaction score
8,162
Location
Stettler Alberta
I agree Tex. It's human nature to wanna know what happened .
Ultimately life is precious and full of uncertainty and fate. You just never know when the time card will get punched and in this case it ended tragically and unfortunately for Travis. On the plus side at least he was found and the family gets to say good bye , if a day or two extra passed it would've been a much different out come , and he wouldn't been found at all. That's my perspective
 

Merc63

Active VIP Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2014
Messages
1,843
Reaction score
2,904
Location
Alberta
What's the temperature on revy mountain durning the night? The valley temps don't look too bad. Wondering if the elements got to him? If he wasn't too far from the cabin, wondering why he didn't start walking back following his track or was the snow coming down hard and covering? A lot of unanswered questions, curious like everyone else what exactly happened to learn from. Such a shame. Hope this tragedy is a learning experience.
 

tex78

Active VIP Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2010
Messages
17,570
Reaction score
17,029
Location
DA Moose B.C
I agree Tex. It's human nature to wanna know what happened .
Ultimately life is precious and full of uncertainty and fate. You just never know when the time card will get punched and in this case it ended tragically and unfortunately for Travis. On the plus side at least he was found and the family gets to say good bye , if a day or two extra passed it would've been a much different out come , and he wouldn't been found at all. That's my perspective
I knew he wouldn't be alive just a feeling



It would have been so awesome if he was tho


I wanted to find him, so his family would have closure, closure for us sledders too



And I hope that if something ever happened to me, sledders would not give up on me till I was found too
 

bj_lucky

Active VIP Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2010
Messages
258
Reaction score
617
Location
red deer
I don't know if I'm the only one thinking this or not, and maybe it's wrong of me, but I can't stop wondering if alcohol played a factor on the outcome of events. Not that I'm trying to assume anything or tarnish ones character but with a statement from one bystander on filling the camel pack. I just can't image why at 330 or what ever time it took to get stuck why tracks couldn't be followed back or other measures been taken. I have 100% zero tolerance due to not wanting to waste a day of riding and the hundreds of dollars in feeling lazy and sluggish but there's more reasons than that of course. Just in agreeance that what ever is believed to happen some info be released to help us all learn. Heck when there's a motor vehicle accident they will release that distracted driving or speed or..... was a factor.
 

tex78

Active VIP Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2010
Messages
17,570
Reaction score
17,029
Location
DA Moose B.C
It was snowing hard Saturday afternoon, all nite and Sunday


Would not take long if stuck to fill in ur tracks, then try to walk the wrong way, easy to get turned around when blowing and snowing hard


Mabe he tried to find his way and gave up

Who knows, all speculation
 

Tippett

Active member
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
50
Reaction score
42
Location
Calgary Alberta
What's the temperature on revy mountain durning the night? The valley temps don't look too bad. Wondering if the elements got to him? If he wasn't too far from the cabin, wondering why he didn't start walking back following his track or was the snow coming down hard and covering? A lot of unanswered questions, curious like everyone else what exactly happened to learn from. Such a shame. Hope this tragedy is a learning experience.


I'm not trying to single you out but these are great questions, Have you ever stopped for lunch for 30-45 min? Even with the best gear you start to feel the temp. Imagine Overnight. As for walking, Try and walk 100' in Boulder right now It will take the wind out of you let alone take you forever. I was up on boulder that Saturday and Sunday and for the most part of the day you could not see your ski tips in front of you, With those conditions its not hard to get turned around/tired/hurt/lost/panic and hunker down. RIP Fellow Sledder.
 

Merc63

Active VIP Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2014
Messages
1,843
Reaction score
2,904
Location
Alberta
Ya it wouldn't be easy to walk but it would keep you warm moving that's for sure. I know this has caused me to do some survival reading and go over my pack.

What's the word in a situation like this, do you stay put or try walk it out?
 

rknight111

Administrator
Administrator
Moderator
Joined
Sep 27, 2006
Messages
13,703
Reaction score
23,489
Location
Parkland County, AB and Valemount, BC
Website
www.snowandmud.com
This incident unfortunately costs Travis his life. We will most likely not be informed on what his outcome was. At least his body was found to give his family closure, that's the most important thing here, especially at this time of the year. We cant turn back time but we can learn from mistakes that were made so this unfortunate event does not occur again.
 

JZ1

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2013
Messages
421
Reaction score
323
Location
Drumheller
Maybe I'm outta line here but I'll say it anyway. Travis paid the ultimate price for riding along in a area unfamiliar to him, not sure why it matters to a lot of you what ultimately took his life.

Let the guy rest in peace
 
Top Bottom