Okay, so it is the one thing that none of us want to do here. However, the situation may call for it.

Say something comes up, either you get trapped in something, you get injured, or little Timmy falls down the well again (Okay, that one you can just leave him there). Obviously your first thought may be to call in backup, but if they are with you, unable to come to your aid, or unable to provide proper aid to you, we're left with that unfortunate call to emergency services.

So, what is the best way to approach this?

I know between the "Oh Shit' and the 'Exploration Injuries' threads, I've seen people make these calls, so I'd definitely like their input, but anyone with thoughts or experiences, feel free to chime in.



TLDR: If you absolutely must call the cops on yourself during an exploration, what is the best way to approach it?

Just simply call and tell them what happened. They're going to be much more concerned with your safety than your trespassing if you're in a bad situation. Just be prepared to explain why you were there and what you were doing because it probably will come up later.

I was once in a tunnel with a group of people when one member of our group fell and broke his leg. In that case, we happened to have a paramedic in the group, and we all teamed up and got him splinted and carried him out of the location, then called rescue, so we didn't have to deal with the trespassing issue. In our situation, we were in an extremely remote location and we knew it would take many hours for rescue crews to even get to us. We were able to get him out of there in probably less than an hour.

That being said, had we not happened to have a paramedic in the group, or had the injured person requested it, I would have called rescue crews in a heartbeat. It's better to take care of safety first, and deal with the legal ramifications later.


Here's another interesting, relevant thread:
http://www.uer.ca/...=104264&currpage=1

The news article in the OP on that thread has moved, so here's that link:
http://hennepin.ks...der-pillsbury-mill

You'll have to sift through some drama to find the actual story in that thread...but if you ask me, that guy did exactly the right thing, and did NOT deserve the criticism he got.

Always side on life and limb. If you sprain an ankle suck it up and wee ble wobble ya ass out. But if it's serious no hesitation. The golden hour is called that for a reason. No one gives a shit about a trespass ticket if they are dead. Call if any doubt exist. This includes irrational behavior (gasses can do strange things to people in enclosed areas) vomiting after any head bump, even a minor one. Etc. Know basic 1st aid. Bring a kit. Get tetanus shots if you get scrapped up on rusty shit. Quit worrying about asbestos. That is the least likely thing to kill/injure you while exploring.

When there is any doubt, get help.