FTA: The two men had only mild hypothermia, despite temperatures falling as low as 15 degrees Celsius.

15 C is about 59 F. Only two French guys could develop mild hypothermia with the thermometer pushing 60.

15C? Come on, that's got to be an error.

Cue the pics of Swiss girls.

Next time take a GPS unit. It has a much larger screen so the light can be seen further.

Isotope: FTA: The two men had only mild hypothermia, despite temperatures falling as low as 15 degrees Celsius.

15 C is about 59 F. Only two French guys could develop mild hypothermia with the thermometer pushing 60.

Since it's winter and the temperature here in the Netherlands is -1C I think we can safely assume that 15C in the Alps is unlikely and 15F more likely. Typo or mistake? You decide.

Were they actually trying to signal with their MP3 player, or just grooving to the music?

Far more interesting article at the bottom: "California family finds $10,000 in box of crackers."

I like money. and crackers.

Why couldn't they just use helicopter mounted FLIR?

Isotope: FTA: The two men had only mild hypothermia, despite temperatures falling as low as 15 degrees Celsius.

15 C is about 59 F. Only two French guys could develop mild hypothermia with the thermometer pushing 60.

If you're wet, 60 degrees is all it takes.

If only there had been some simple method of generating light and heat from local materials!

I guess we'll just have to wait for some future genius to invent it.

groverpm: Since it's winter and the temperature here in the Netherlands is -1C I think we can safely assume that 15C in the Alps is unlikely and 15F more likely. Typo or mistake? You decide.

-15 celsius is most likely I'd say.

groverpm: Isotope: FTA: The two men had only mild hypothermia, despite temperatures falling as low as 15 degrees Celsius.

15 C is about 59 F. Only two French guys could develop mild hypothermia with the thermometer pushing 60.

Since it's winter and the temperature here in the Netherlands is -1C I think we can safely assume that 15C in the Alps is unlikely and 15F more likely. Typo or mistake? You decide.

Or -15 C?

groverpm: Since it's winter and the temperature here in the Netherlands is -1C I think we can safely assume that 15C in the Alps is unlikely and 15F more likely. Typo or mistake? You decide.

I'm thinking -15C, or about 0F. Still, I think I'd rather add a layer than go crying for help.

I call shenanigans. iPods don't have that kind of battery life.

I love this thread because no-one has taken the 'people lost up a mountain should pay for their own rescue' flame bait. Up yours subby.

/Someone will obviously run with it now.

Erik_Emune: groverpm: Isotope: FTA: The two men had only mild hypothermia, despite temperatures falling as low as 15 degrees Celsius.

15 C is about 59 F. Only two French guys could develop mild hypothermia with the thermometer pushing 60.

Since it's winter and the temperature here in the Netherlands is -1C I think we can safely assume that 15C in the Alps is unlikely and 15F more likely. Typo or mistake? You decide.

Or -15 C?


Yeah, I figured they meant -15C, but for some reason I can't resist an opportunity to make fun of the French.

meekychuppet: I love this thread because no-one has taken the 'people lost up a mountain should pay for their own rescue' flame bait. Up yours subby.

I don't think they should pay for their own rescue.

I think they should have the decency to die on the mountain.

Hogans

I think they should have the decency to die on the mountain.

1/10, and half of that is because you can type.

meekychuppet: 1/10, and half of that is because you can type.

You think I'm trolling? I'm mostly going for humor, but also partly serious. They wandered off trails without being sufficiently prepared or trained beforehand. In my mind, they deserve at least a little hardship, or a lessening of the hardship they inflict upon others.

At -15 C, I'm not sure the iPod (or any other MP3 player) would run. It could be too cold. On the other hand, they could rub it until it warmed up.

hogans

You think I'm trolling? I'm mostly going for humor, but also partly serious. They wandered off trails without being sufficiently prepared or trained beforehand. In my mind, they deserve at least a little hardship, or a lessening of the hardship they inflict upon others.


I did think you were trolling, now I think you're a little bit silly.

iDon't care.

Going by today's forecast for Savognin iWould say -15C.

However, since Yahoo is American, as of course is the entire Internet, we must assume they meant to say 15F. When did an American news source ever quote anything in metric-speak?

/ but what do iKnow?

What's an iDiot and where can I buy one????
/hurrrrrr

I hope they didn't have that new "shake to shuffle playlist" feature turned on, considering all the shivering.

meekychuppet: I love this thread because no-one has taken the 'people lost up a mountain should pay for their own rescue' flame bait. Up yours subby.

/Someone will obviously run with it now.

The alpine rescue helicopters in Switzerland are mostly run by the Rega charity, paid for by donations from snowsports and mountain enthusiasts.

Link (new window)

So yeah, they do pay for it.

/Saw someone getting a free Rega ride the other week
//Bad accident on a red run
///No blood though

iSee what you're doing there Subby.

I used the backlight on my iPod to navigate nine floors in total darkness at 3 a.m. this morning during the Great O'ahu Power Outage '08. Now I get why there is an "Always On" setting. Brilliant!

#hipower

Hypothermia can happen at surprisingly warm temperatures given the right circumstances.

I imagine long term exposure at 59F in wet/windy conditions could begin to lower one's core temp. I know of a guy who spent a long day riding cross country on a motorcycle in warm (low 70s) but dry conditions who became mildly hypothermic. He was just wearing jeans and a t-shirt and the dry air sucked the moisture and heat right out of him.

That being said it was probably a typo.

jackmalice: I call shenanigans. iPods don't have that kind of battery life.

I've taken mine on a 13 hour car trip (constantly listening) and never run out of battery.

rcain: What's an iDiot and where can I buy one????
/hurrrrrr

points at meekychuppet

?

The article doesn't state that it was an iPod.

Or have we arrived at iPod is to mp3 player as Kleenex is to facial tissue?

rcain: What's an iDiot and where can I buy one????
/hurrrrrr

iKnow.

ID 10 T error.

iCarumba

15 degrees Celsius?



/but not iCy.

Obviously they weren't smokers.

Cosmic Crab: If only there had been some simple method of generating light and heat from local materials!

I guess we'll just have to wait for some future genius to invent it.

Local materials in the High Alps in winter: Ice. Snow. Rocks.

Shhhhh....wanna get iSued?

Erik_Emune: Cosmic Crab: If only there had been some simple method of generating light and heat from local materials!

I guess we'll just have to wait for some future genius to invent it.

Local materials in the High Alps in winter: Ice. Snow. Rocks.

I doubt they were losted too far from town if they could hit a cell repeater.

You see, this just shows why the iPod is so much better than all the other mp3 players on the market. No other other one would have the battery power to.....

/Aw hell, I can't do it. It just hurts too much to type that drivel.

I heard they had to upgrade Itunes before they were able to rescue them.

meekychuppet: I love this thread because no-one has taken the 'people lost up a mountain should pay for their own rescue' flame bait. Up yours subby.

/Someone will obviously run with it now.

Yeah, and people that get hit by hurricanes and tornados should pay for their own re-building efforts.

jackmalice: I call shenanigans. iPods don't have that kind of battery life.

They're pretty decent. Dunno about the hard drive based iPods, but my 3rd gen Nano runs for weeks on a charge if you're not playing videos or constantly switching songs. I watched videos on a flight once and only got 2 movies out of it :-( To be fair though, 2 movies on a screen that size is plenty.

Ehrm.. it's neither 15°C nor -15°C around here. 15°F is a bit exaggerated, but if you take wind in account, it might work.

philzli: Ehrm.. it's neither 15°C nor -15°C around here. 15°F is a bit exaggerated, but if you take wind in account, it might work.

So does that leave -15º in fairytale land? Even on the top of a mountian... which is where I am sure your stronghold and henchmen are located.

Half Man Half Biscuit: meekychuppet: I love this thread because no-one has taken the 'people lost up a mountain should pay for their own rescue' flame bait. Up yours subby.

/Someone will obviously run with it now.

The alpine rescue helicopters in Switzerland are mostly run by the Rega charity, paid for by donations from snowsports and mountain enthusiasts.

Link (new window)

So yeah, they do pay for it.

/Saw someone getting a free Rega ride the other week
//Bad accident on a red run
///No blood though

Getting rescued by the Rega, unless you're a "Patron" (donating card-carrying member), does indeed result in getting billed. In some cases, this is reimbursed by your krankenkasse -- if you're stuck due to an injury, for instance. But most health insurers don't include coverage for Dumbass, perhaps as it generally is a pre-existing condition.

(so, if this happens to you, I recommend you break one of your limbs before the Rega arrives.)

In other news, I was in Savognin just over 2 weeks ago, having a blast on their 6-mile-long sledding track -- and there's no way in heck it was 15 degrees celsius. But you all knew this already.

DeadKitten:
Getting rescued by the Rega, unless you're a "Patron" (donating card-carrying member), does indeed result in getting billed.

True, but for 30CHF a year to become a Patron you might as well say it's free :)

Half Man Half Biscuit: True, but for 30CHF a year to become a Patron you might as well say it's free :)

I don't know for absolutely sure (...never had to be rescued), but I'd venture a guess that it's kind of like AAA, in that you must be a member BEFORE the copter comes to get you (for it to be free).

Otherwise I'd imagine the Rega bills you something in the 5 digits.

quick and ugly

monsieurstabby: jackmalice: I call shenanigans. iPods don't have that kind of battery life.

I've taken mine on a 13 hour car trip (constantly listening) and never run out of battery.

Then you don't have the same iPod I do (4th gen video).... or you have a dilithium battery.