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Geocaching injuries


minnesotabrad

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I did a search and have not found a topic for this so thought I would post it. Have and how bad have you been hurt geocaching?

 

I was out last weekend with my daughter caching and ended up taking a fall on a snow packed, slippery path when coming out of the woods and ended up breaking my right arm. :bad: It is going to limit my caching for awhile since it hard to put a glove on and also to sign a log sheet. I have to wear a cast for four weeks, so not too bad. The injury was also on my one year anniversary of geocaching. We ended up going back to the car, stopped for gas and I drove home then had my wife drop me off at the ER. Watched the Super Bowl there.

 

I was able to attend an event yesterday and go along with some other cachers to get five easy caches. I will get it in somehow. :rolleyes:

Edited by minnesotabrad
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Haven't been hurt badly while caching but I did recently break my leg so I understand the injury slowing you down. I did however go out caching in Ohio after they had a snow storm with my crutches. It was at our last cache of the night before heading to their coffee talk event. We had a beautiful view of downtown Cleveland at night during th holidays and I missed the patch of black ice. I slipped and caught myself with my broken leg... boy did that hurt like ****! After that I was happy to go to the event but it definitely ruined my caching mood, because it reminded me quickly that I wouldn't be able to cache like I normally did. :P

 

Hoping for good weather for you so you can continue to cache. :)

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I broke my ankle while caching south of Nashville, TN. I tried not to let it keep me out of caching too much. When I got my walking cast I got in all kinds of trouble going places I shouldn't

 

Yeah and after hearing about you getting in trouble with the cast I've been cautious to remember I have my limits in my walking cast.

 

Briansnat, I'm sorry to hear you have to be on crutches so long. After 2 months, I continually wished I could leave mine on the side of the road. Hope for a quick recovery for ya!

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Grandma Locator fell whilst caching on 3 September (GC10T8K) and sustained multiple breaks in her right leg which ended up having a stack of metalwork bolted inside. She has only just got out of the wheelchair and onto crutches, and it could still be another 6 months before she's walking unaided! :)

 

At least it stopped the kids moaning about every tiny scratch and sting they get whilst geocaching. :P

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I injured my shoulder pretty good while walking back from a geocache event.

 

Some dude took a girls purse right in front of me, so I tried to catch him and ended up slipping on the wet cement and falling hard. (he got away)

 

That was 2 months ago, and I still can't fully move my arm. :P

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I received a pretty huge puncture wound in my leg at GCM9RR (Geezers' That Sinking Feeling)...I was stepping over a log and there was a broken branch on the other side. It made a "pop!" sound and bled for a bit, but eventually stopped. It didn't really hurt, but I was so far out in the woods that it concerned me a bit.

 

Got back to camp and a nurse flushed it out (note: THOROUGHLY) which was much more painful than the initial wound, and I got a tetanus/staph shot the following day.

 

This was a month ago, and it still looks pretty rough.

Edited by VickersDavis
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GC4Q85C

 

Local cacher lost his finger on an FTF run.....

 

Makes me realise I was lucky - I did a similar manoeuvre jumping off some railings and leaving my hand in place - just gouged a hole in my palm instead and ripped cuff of jacket.

 

Twice this year I've explored Base Of Tree and stood up under a low branch - cue much blood. 1st time has no tissues or anything to mop up and was sweating so the blood ran all over my face. Other walkers looked a bit scared...

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Just yesterday while I was out trying to repair my caches, I got attacked and stung by yellow jackets. They are out swarming the woods. :-( I had to quit before I finished all my checks. I've got to figure out something that will repel them from me because I've got to finish my repairs while I can.

 

I hate yellow jackets because they CLING to you and keep stinging! Talk about screaming like a girl!!! (Well, I am a girl.) (Welllll...more accurately I am an OLD girl.)

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Well, have some, and avoided some.

 

The obligatory episode of poison oak, being kissed by a rattlesnake on my pants but fortunately he missed and I ran, not being murdered by three Walking Dead meth heads who surprised me in the Antelope Valley as I'm in their driveway logging a cache, not being murdered in Detroit by a pair of punks who took exception to me being in their hood at 2 in the afternoon looking at the Masonic Temple earthcache, not having a heart attack after a frog jumped on my hand when pulling up a post hide in Florida, not getting Lyme disease after plucking over 50 bi-coastal ticks, bees, bees and more bees... running the other way after a bear, who sorta saw me first, went the other way, nasty, nasty black widows crawling up my arm, just love those chigger bites, attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes in the Everglades, fending off wild dogs, getting caught in quicksand like muck just last weekend in Illinois.

 

You get the point. I'm sure I've missed some, but gotta love geocaching!

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There's been some concern about possible fishhook injuries from controversial swag.

 

As a public service, here's the first aid info:

 

 

If the barb of the hook has not entered the skin, pull the tip of the hook out in the opposite direction it went in. Otherwise, you can use one of the following methods for removal of a hook that is superficially (not deeply) embedded just beneath the skin:

 

Fish line method:First, wash your hands with soap and water, or disinfecting solution, and then wash the area surrounding the hook.Put a loop of fish line through the bend of the fishhook so that a quick jerk can be applied and the hook can be pulled out directly in line with the shaft of the hook.Holding onto the shaft, push the hook slightly downwards and inwards (away from the barb) so as to disengage the barb.Holding this pressure constant to keep the barb disengaged, give a quick jerk on the fish line and the hook will pop out.Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and apply a loose, sterile dressing.Watch the area for signs of infection such as redness, swelling, pain, or drainage.

 

Wire cutting method:First, wash your hands with soap and water, or disinfecting solution, and then wash the area surrounding the hook.After the skin is clean, apply gentle pressure along the curve of the fishhook while pulling on the hook.If the tip of the hook lies near the surface of the skin, push the tip through the skin, cut it off just behind the barb with wire cutters, and remove the remainder of the hook by pulling it back through the way it entered.Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water, and apply a loose sterile dressing.Watch area for signs of infection such as redness, swelling, pain, or drainage.Do not use these methods or otherwise attempt to remove a fishhook that is deeply embedded in the skin, lodged within a joint or tendon, or located in or near an eye or artery. If you are at all unsure, it is best to seek medical attention immediately.

 

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Here's a log from April 2009 on a cache I own...

 

Wow! How should I start! Well I got out on the right side (Or so I thought!) and started my hike. I was able to gain access on land. After 1 1/4 mile walk I got to the cach. But, one problem, I was on the wrong side! After about 20 min. of deciding I said I was heading back. I then said NO! I've walk to far. So off came the clothes but not all of them. In the water I went and across to the other side, located the cach and sign the log and went back across and made my walk back out.

 

THERE'S MORE!!!

 

While I was making my way across I stump my toe on a downed log that was under water and got a splinter under my toe-nail from the tip all the way to the back. I could not get it out. So, when I got back home I made my way to the Webster County Emergency Room. They had to take part of my toe-nail off. *By the way! That water was COLD!!!

 

A good friend rode with me to the E.R. but drove me back home and I ask him. "Joe what cha think about it?" He said "Man that's dedication!"

 

Again, I said "Naw I walked to far in to just leave and log a DNF. But, I got my cach and logged it in!"

 

Thanks for the cach! This one will be in the memory book for a while!

 

T-N-L-N and THANKS FOR THE CACH!!!

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