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| Post Number: 1
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TDale 
Group: Members
Posts: 13151
Joined: Jun. 2005
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Posted on: Jan. 16 2013, 5:36 am |
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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic....5-42-17
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"Sure as I know anything, I know this - they will try again...They'll swing back to the belief that they can make people... better. And I do not hold to that. So no more runnin'. I aim to misbehave."
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| Post Number: 2
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buddero
Group: Members
Posts: 777
Joined: Jan. 2009
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Posted on: Jan. 16 2013, 4:44 pm |
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"... just after the photo was snapped, the rhino attacked, and its horn penetrated Beyers' chest from behind, resulting in a collapsed lung and broken ribs," Wow, I'll bet that hurt! And an interesting time in the ER cleaning that little wound!
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Reach out your hand, if your cup be empty
If your cup is full, may it be again
Journal and links to refugees, backpacking, travel in Asia, photos, honky-tonk angels, other beautiful things...
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| Post Number: 3
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wwwest
Group: Members
Posts: 4060
Joined: Dec. 2002
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Posted on: Jan. 16 2013, 5:45 pm |
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So, it's ok to recognize this idiot as a Darwin Award contender, but unacceptable to see the same kind of mental failure on the part of the Dad who kills himself and his two sons from hypothermia on a major trail??
Interesting that so many identify with the ill prepared Dad who made an even deadlier decision than the rhino petter. Whatever.
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| Post Number: 4
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charadeur
Group: Members
Posts: 162
Joined: Mar. 2011
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Posted on: Jan. 16 2013, 7:46 pm |
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I think the insensitivity was that two innocent children were killed by the other guys actions. They did not do anything to deserve that.
I can't help but think that standing in front of a pickup truck size animal with a giant spike on his nose is higher on the Darwin Award list than the guy who miss read the weather conditions.
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| Post Number: 5
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| Post Number: 6
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treelinebackpacker
Group: Members
Posts: 414
Joined: Aug. 2011
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Posted on: Jan. 16 2013, 8:25 pm |
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It is a public forum you know.
I personally enjoy the variety.
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| Post Number: 7
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| Post Number: 8
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Ben2World
Group: Members
Posts: 23917
Joined: Jun. 2005
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Posted on: Jan. 16 2013, 9:38 pm |
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To me, a Darwin Award would be something like ignoring all warnings from your guide, then climbing over some barrier... just to get a closer shot at some animals.
Common sense is acquired from experience. I don't fault city folks with no rhino experience for trusting their guides (or in this case a game park owner who's presumably licensed and all).
It's a tragedy. I don't think the woman deserves the Darwin award -- or the mockery. The person responsible here is the game park owner. My two cents.
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The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page. -- St. Augustine
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| Post Number: 9
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Franco
Group: Members
Posts: 2706
Joined: Feb. 2005
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Posted on: Jan. 16 2013, 10:15 pm |
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No, no Darwin award here...
For a start to be awarded a Darwin you have to die otherwise you are just a "candidate", secondly because she was following directions from someone that should have known better and was in a position of trust, it wasn't entirely her fault.
On an elephant ride in Nepal we went rhino watching.
Having dismounted and having had the lecture about the perils and what to do we (about 6 of us plus guide) started observing a rhino from across a shallow and not too wide river.
At some point the guide gave the signal that the rhino was about to come our way so everybody bolted to "safety" I was next to the guide and noticed a glint in his eye so did not bother to move, neither did the rhino...
Of course if he had charged it would have been another story...
Back to the Darwin award...
It does not apply to the father and two kids either because :
First rule
"Nominees significantly improve the gene pool by eliminating themselves from the human race in an obviously stupid way. "
So that rules out activities that are normally safe but end in tragedy because of an accident, in this case change of weather and getting lost.
Read the rest of the rules here :
http://www.darwinawards.com/rules/
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| Post Number: 10
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Cloudwalker
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Group: Members
Posts: 6711
Joined: Feb. 2002
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Posted on: Jan. 17 2013, 12:12 am |
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Oooh, oooh, is it cabin fever time already? 
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| Post Number: 11
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trailweaver
Group: Members
Posts: 508
Joined: Apr. 2004
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Posted on: Jan. 17 2013, 1:11 am |
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One other point about the father and sons that I haven't seen mentioned (and maybe I missed it?) is that hypothermia impairs judgement. At some point he may have realized they were in trouble, but it was too late. Up until that moment, he was cold, tired, etc., but thought he was O.K. and would get everyone home all right.
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Survival Skills 101 • Eat Better
