Column Editor: Lainey Yu, DO, MS, FAWM, DiDMM
Shahnoor Jafri, MD May 31, 2026
A hiker trapped in a narrow New York cave crevice was rescued after hours of confinement. This article examines the rescue, the risks of hypothermia in cave environments, and key wilderness medicine treatment principles.
Shahnoor Jafri, MD May 19, 2026
A deep cave diving expedition in the Maldives ended in tragedy after five Italian researchers and a rescue diver died. This article examines the incident, the dangers of CNS oxygen toxicity, and the physiology behind technical diving risks.
Emily DesMeules, PA-C, FAWM May 15, 2026
A deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius leaves multiple passengers dead as international health officials race to contain the spread across several countries and remote Atlantic islands.
Hailey Bauer, MPH, MS4 May 9, 2026
Off-duty paramedics improvised during a cross-country flight to safely deliver a baby without an obstetric kit, highlighting the realities of in-flight medical emergencies and the challenges of austere care in aviation medicine.
Suzanne Zhou, MD May 4, 2026
A bear attack on U.S. Army soldiers in Alaska underscores the risks of wildlife encounters in remote environments, highlighting prevention strategies, injury patterns, and factors that increase human–bear conflict.
Emily DesMeules, PA-C, FAWM April 13, 2026
An investigation into alleged helicopter evacuation fraud on Mount Everest reveals coordinated schemes inflating insurance claims, raising safety, ethical, and financial concerns in high-altitude medicine.
Sarah Spelsberg MD, FAWM, FEWM March 3, 2026
Though true quicksand incidents are rare, when they do occur, they frequently involve hikers, beachgoers, hunters, or motorists who inadvertently step into water-saturated sand or silt and become trapped.
Michael Jones, MD February 21, 2026
A deadly D2.5 avalanche near Frog Lake Backcountry Huts claimed nine lives in February 2026. Michael Jones, MD, examines what happened and reviews critical avalanche safety, prevention strategies, and key medical pearls for survival.
Rodrigo Pereira Gomes, MD January 22, 2026
Recent fatal shark bites have reignited concern over human–shark encounters. Read what happened, why hemorrhage is the leading killer, what lifesaving care matters most, and how realistic shark deterrents and risk reduction really are.
David Gordon, MDZohdi Cooperrider Young, DO December 1, 2025
Five tourists recently died due to exposure at Torres del Paine National Park during a sudden change in weather conditions on November 17, 2025.
Hailey Bauer, MPH, MS3 November 25, 2025
A rare grizzly attack involving schoolchildren in British Columbia highlights the realities of bear–human conflict. Read what happened, prevention in bear country, proper response during an encounter, and lifesaving care after an attack.
Michael Jones, MD November 12, 2025
Though not common, according to the State of Hawaii Department of Health, the bites of two spider species on the Hawaiian islands, the Southern Black Widow and the Brown Widow, can be a medical emergency.
By Sarah Spelsberg, MD, FAWM, FEWM October 29, 2025
When rangers step back, BASE jumpers step up. Amid the shutdown, wingsuit pilots soar while pushing for safety & acceptance in U.S. parks.
Rodrigo Gomes August 22, 2025
Richard Woulfe almost lost his foot after being stung by a stingray. Read his story and get steps to manage stingray injuries.
Sarah Spelsberg MD, FAWM, FEWM August 15, 2025
A British hiker is charged after requiring a helicopter rescue from a closed route in Italy's Dolomites.
Heather Fullerton MD, FACSM, FAWM August 13, 2025
A hiker tragically lost her life while hiking in Yosemite National Park after a rare and unforeseen accident involving a falling tree branch.
Jessica Bixha OMS-2Dana Mathew MD FAWM June 17, 2025
A healthy 17-year-old boy from Chapel Hill was bitten by a timber rattlesnake while fishing near Lost Cove Creek in Pisgah National Forest on June 2nd.
J. Austin Martin, DO, MSc June 16, 2025
During the descent, a piton that the party had been using as an anchor failed suddenly, pulling out of the mountain and causing the team of four to plummet approximately 200 feet.
Kylie Van Hoesen, MD June 1, 2025
This operation has reignited debate around the dangers and ethics of high-altitude helicopter rescues, the increasing reliance on air evacuation in the Himalayas, and the pressing need for awareness of altitude illness.
Rodrigo P Gomez, MD May 30, 2025
...boating safety is not determined by the vessel’s size or destination.
Alara Nigro, OMS-IDana Mathew, MD, FACEP, FAWM, DiDMM May 28, 2025
A 27-year-old was rescued twice in four days from near the summit of Mount Fuji after developing symptoms of altitude illness.
Eric D. Harleman, PA-C February 24, 2025
After becoming stranded on the mountainside, one of the skiers transmitted an SOS signal from his Apple Watch, alerting authorities to their distress and whereabouts.
Heather Fullerton MD, FACSM, FAWM January 9, 2025
There have been “credible” sightings of Sasquatch in 49 states
Rodrigo Pereira Gomes, MD January 7, 2025
On December 16, 2024, twelve individuals tragically lost their lives to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning
Sarah Spelsberg MD, FAWM, FEWM December 27, 2024
The unyielding spirit of an explorer and her rescuers
Eric Harleman, PA-C November 19, 2024
The cost of his hospital stay and antivenom treatment was $297,461
Rodrigo Pereira Gomes, MD September 5, 2024
This year alone, authorities have already accounted for nine cases, with three deaths.
Xyruz Villariz, MS, OMS-II August 16, 2024
The first and only needle-free emergency treatment of type I allergic reactions
Sarah Spelsberg, MD, FAWM, FEWM Robert Knopp, DO July 31, 2024
48-year-old hiker Scott A. Hern was found alive in Kentucky's Red River Gorge after he went missing for two weeks
Eric Harleman, MPAS, PA-C July 26, 2024
On Friday, July 12, 2024, Utah Public Safety officials received 911 text messages from two hikers