Carolyn Dorn is NOT a Hero
More Articles Related to PeopleAs you may have heard, 52 year old Carolyn Dorn has been found in New Mexico's Gila Wilderness after spending forty days and forty nights alone there. Some are calling her ordeal a survival record, as the previous record for someone surviving being lost in the New Mexico wilderness is thirty days.
Carolyn Dorn went into the wilderness prepared, though poorly, for a two week hike. Unlike many who have undergone long term wilderness survival situations, Carolyn Dorn was equipped with a large amount of food and camping supplies from the beginning. When her two week supply of food ran out, she grazed on grass.
Framing the situation as some kind of contest to see who survived the longest is big media idiocy at its finest. A large number of people searched for Carolyn Dorn, expending a great deal of time, money and personal risk for someone who went into the wilderness improperly prepared. Carolyn Dorn is not the hero here. The real hero's are those who went out looking for the missing hiker, expending their time and risking life and limb to help a fellow human being.
Carolyn Dorn "Lost"
On December 6th or 7th, depending upon the source, it is said Carolyn Dorn left the Turkey Creek campground just north of Cliff, New Mexico, for a two week hike up the Gila River in the Gila Wilderness.
The Gila river flows through a canyon with high walls, which requires hikers to cross and recross it a number of times as they travel upriver. Over the course of Dorn's first five days of hiking, the river became swollen with rain and melting snow. This prevented her from crossing back over the river and trapped her in the canyon.
Once the Gila river subsided somewhat, Dorn claims she was too weak to cross it so she continued to camp beside the Gila for the rest of her ordeal, another thirty-five days.
Was Carolyn Dorn Hiding?
After two weeks when Carolyn Dorn did not return as expected, search and rescue teams spent about four days looking for her. Finding nothing at all, the search was called off. Because the area along the Gila River where Dorn was encamped was thoroughly searched, many suspect she was purposefully hiding from searchers.
Volunteer searchers continued the effort to find Carolyn, a couple of times coming very near her encampment on the Gila River.
"The real hero's are those who went out looking for the missing hiker, expending their time and risking life and limb to help a fellow human being."
On January 13th Albert Kottke and Peter Kottke found Carolyn Dorn at her encampment beside the Gila River about 23 miles north of Silver City, two and a half weeks after the official search had been called off. Dorn was very hungry, dehydrated, hypothermic, and tired but expressed her boredom more than anything else. The Kottke's gave her some food, warm clothing, and a book and then hiked 20-miles to the intersections of highway 15 and 35 to find help at Silver City.
A National Guard Blackhawk helicopter was called in, but could not initially land because of the fire Carolyn Dorn had at her campsite. Once the fire was extinguished she was whisked out of the wilderness and to the Gila Regional Medical Center where it was found that Dorn lost thirty or forty pounds of body weight over the course of the forty days she spent in the wilderness.
Poor Equipment for the Wilderness
The Kottke's noted that Carolyn Dorn's gear was of poor quality for the single digit temperatures she faced. She had cotton clothing (cotton being next to useless when wet), tennis shoes, and cheap Wal-Mart type tent, not the kind of hiking equipment you need for winter camping in the winter or winter survival in general. This is additional evidence that Dorn didn't know what she was doing and had no business hiking in the Gila Wilderness.
Carolyn Dorn's family reports they are receiving calls from Good Morning America,' the Today' show, the L.A. Times and others interested in her story. Next thing you know there will probably be a book and a movie.
In typical ignorance, the big media press is making Dorn out to be a hero when in fact she should probably be charged with endangering those who were out looking for her. There is a difference between being a hero and being a fool, and Carolyn Dorn is definitely NOT a hero.
New Mexico
France
She should pay for the expenses made, I'd say...!
Miami Florida
I worked with Carolyn Dorn on the cruise ships for 12 years. I think she is a hero. You try to survive for forty days and night like she did. Granted she was not to smart being out there with the wrong gear.
El Segundo, CA.
I can't agree more. Carolyn Dorn is not a hero even though the press makes here into one undeservingly.
Vermont
I'm suprised Carolyn Dorn even survived at all.
silver city, n.m.
Your right, i'm not a hero, and never said I was. I've heard and read alot of comments from people, but no one has asked me what the true story is. The rescue teams and the brothers are the real heroes. The brothers did a phenomenal job; Jo Remindini is an incredible person with a big heart, and of course all the people who searched including the national guard. I never had a chance to thank them all. My judgement of what I was getting into was terribly off due to personal problems that i won't go into or make excuses for. I'm thankful that all turned out well for all concerned.
No, I'm not a hero just a lucky dog. Peace, carolyn dorn
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cliff,new mexico