Part of the beauty of Oregon is the hiking opportunities throughout the state. Hiking can be a fun and healthy activity for the whole family. But without proper planning, even a short hike could turn into a dangerous situation. Before you hit the trails, remember these hiking safety tips.
1. Make a Gear List
Whether you're hiking for three hours or three days, you don't want to forget something important. Make a gear list to make sure you have everything you need. Some items to include on your gear list are:
- Water
- Water filtration such as a filter straw or a filtration waterbottle
- Rain gear and additional climate-appropriate clothing
- Compass
- Map
- Extra food
- First aid supplies
- Cell phone or radio with backup batteries
2. Bring a Map
Bringing a map and becoming familiar with the area before you hike is so important. You should never rely solely on GPS technology especially with limited service and battery power. Always pack a map and make sure you know how to read it before you need it.
3. Hike During the Day
Whenever possible, plan to hike during the day. It is easier to get lost in the dark and the area may be home to wild animals that come out at night.
4. Know the Area
Exploring new hiking trails can be exciting. Unfortunately, it also means you're unfamiliar with the territory. Before heading out, check regional hiking information for:
- Local wild animals and what to do if you encounter them
- Local poisonous plants
- Local hunting areas and seasons
- Local hiking or emergency alerts
5. Check the Forecast
Check the forecast while planning your hike and keep checking it until you leave. This helps determine what gear you need to bring and greatly impacts your safety. Hiking in hotter or colder weather have different challenges that impact your trip and your health. If the forecast does predict rain, snow, or ice, be sure the trail you're taking is passable in these conditions. Consider contacting your local Parks and Recreation Department so they can direct you to real-time information. When in doubt, reschedule your hike for better weather.
6. Be Confident Not Cocky
You know what you can and can't handle. When hiking in a group or with a more advanced friend, you may take risks you aren't ready for. Don't risk injury; be honest with your skill level before hitting the trail.
7. Tell Someone Before You Go
Tell someone when and where you are going and when they should expect you to be back. If that person doesn't hear from you by a certain time, they can take the necessary action to begin a search. With Search and Rescue missions, time matters. If you don’t make it home on time, having a friend that can report your planned hiking activity and timeline can help searchers locate you.
8. Stay Together
When hiking with a large group, it's easy to separate into groups of fast and slow hikers. Often, this happens naturally, but it isn't always safe. Keep someone at the front that hikes at a modest pace to ensure everyone stays together.
For more information and tips visit our website at www.lincolncountysheriff.net and like us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon.
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On 04/13/2024, a hiker from the Newport area located human remains in a dispersed campsite just outside the city limits of Newport, OR. The hiker reported the incident to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded to the area and were directed to the campsite, which was located approximately 100 yards into thick foliage from the roadway. The remains appeared to have been exposed to the environment for a prolonged period of time. Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Deputies and Detectives conducted a death investigation before the Lincoln County Search and Rescue Team assisted in removing the remains. The remains have been tentatively identified but will undergo advanced testing to make a final determination. No identifying information is being released at this time. No suspicious circumstances have been determined and there is no concern for community safety.
If anyone has any information relating to this incident, please call the Sheriff’s Tip Line at 541-265-0669. Reference case number 24S-06357.
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SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH AND ROOFIE AWARENESS
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and is a significant reminder that sexual assault, roofie awareness, and personal safety are important topics throughout the year. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), every 68 seconds an American is sexually assaulted. You can find additional statistics and resources such as “Understanding Consent”, “Safety and Prevention”, and more at www.rainn.org.
The best tip for preventing sexual assault is: don’t sexually assault someone. While this is the best way to prevent sexual assault, below are some tips to help prevent exposure to date rape drugs and predators with harmful intentions.
There are more than fifty predatory drugs that can be used to sedate someone. These drugs, including rohypnol, ketamine, and GHB, are often known as “roofies” or “date rape drugs”. These predatory drugs relax the body and can feel similar to being drunk. As they pass through your system their effect increases. This can lead to confusion, breathing trouble, blurred vision, and memory loss. These drugs stay in the bloodstream for approximately four hours and testing for them often yields little or no evidence. This makes it very difficult to prove and even harder to prosecute.
Below are some tips to help prevent exposure to these drugs and predators with harmful intentions. If you are drinking:
- Be Aware of Strange Smells or Flavors.
If the drink is hazy or doesn’t taste like it normally should, don’t drink it. Be sure to pour it out so that no one drinks it. - Cover Your Cup.
Never set down or lose sight of your drink. Hold the cup by covering it with your palm. - Order Your Own Drinks.
Don’t accept any beverages from strangers or people you don’t trust. It is safer to only accept drinks directly from the bartender. - Avoid Community Containers.
Say no to drinks made in a punch bowl or pitchers. Instead, go for a canned or bottled beverage that hasn’t been opened.
- Don’t Share Drinks with Others.
You don’t know if your friend has kept a watchful eye on their cup. People can have very different reactions to the same drug. This means they could have ingested something harmful and not feel it’s effects yet. - Sip Your Drink Slowly.
Taking time to consume your beverage gives you more time to become aware of any symptoms which can indicate your drink has been altered.
For more information and tips visit our website at www.lincolncountysheriff.net and like us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon.
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April showers bring May flowers but scams are always in-season. Ever year Oregonians fall victim to scams from criminals disguising themselves as legitimate organizations or businesses. They are quite savvy in getting you to provide your personal information and create a sense of urgency to get you to act quickly.
One popular scam we see in Lincoln County is via phone call. Scammers pretend to be from our agency or another organization calling regarding jury duty, an outstanding warrant, etc. Then they pressure you to pay a fine or bail money, often in Bitcoin, gift cards, or other non-traditional payment forms. You should know our office will NOT ask for payment over the phone. Before you share any information with the caller, collect their name, agency, and reason for calling. Then hang up and look up the organization’s real contact information to confirm with them the call is legitimate. Save our contact information below so that you can quickly verify it is someone from our office calling.
Protect yourself from scams:
- Use caution, especially with those you are not familiar with.
- When you receive unexpected contacts from people or businesses, over the phone, by mail, email, in person, or on social media, always consider the possibility that the interaction may be a scam.
- Remember to call or log on to the organization’s real website to verify the information you’ve been given is accurate.
- Verify the caller is from a legitimate organization before sharing any information. If you have trouble verifying an organization’s phone number or website, consider stopping by their office to speak with someone in person.
- Protect your passwords and personal information.
- Always use password protection.
- Don’t share access with others.
- Update security software and back up content regularly.
- Protect your Wi-Fi network with a password.
- Avoid using public computers or Wi-Fi hotspots to access online banking or provide personal information.
- Ignore unfamiliar attachments or links.
- Don’t click on links, open attachments, attempt to unsubscribe, or call any telephone number listed in suspicious messages.
- Do NOT give any money, credit card info, or other personal details.
- When in doubt, look up the organization’s website or phone number and contact them directly.
- Save contact information from official organization’s ahead of time.
- Anytime you open a bank account, work with a company, etc., save that organization’s phone number, website, and address so that you can reach out to them if you receive something suspicious or have questions about someone from their agency contacting you.
- Anytime you open a bank account, work with a company, etc., save that organization’s phone number, website, and address so that you can reach out to them if you receive something suspicious or have questions about someone from their agency contacting you.
- Know what an organization will and won’t ask for over the phone or through email.
- The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office will NOT ask you for payment over the phone.
- Most government agencies will not ask for sensitive information such as social security numbers, passwords, etc. over the phone.
- Help friends and family learn how to spot a scam.
- Protect others by helping them learn and follow scam prevention tips.
- Encourage loved ones of all ages to tell you about or otherwise report suspicious calls, texts, emails, and social media messages. Remind them to verify the person or organization sending the message before they reply back, provide information, or click on any links.
How to know if information is really from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office:
- It is on our official website: lincolncountysheriff.net/
- Our staff can verify the information is true. Give us a call at 541-265-4277 if you have questions about a service or need to connect with someone in our Office.
- It comes directly from our Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, NOT a third party or a comment from another Facebook user.
- It comes from one of our other Facebook accounts: Lincoln County Animal Shelter or Lincoln County Oregon Emergency Management
For more information and tips visit our website at www.lincolncountysheriff.net and like us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has declared April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Distracted driving is any activity that takes the driver’s attention away from driving. Cell phone use including texting, talking on the phone, or using social media are some of the activities that are the most dangerous. This is because cell phone use takes your visual, manual, cognitive, and auditory attention away from driving.
While cell phones are some of the most dangerous distractions, other activities such as eating, talking with passengers, grooming, and reading can be dangerous and deadly. According to the NHTSA, 3,522 people were killed by distracted driving in 2021. You can learn more about the dangers of distracted driving by visiting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month” webpage.
Use these tips to help keep your car distraction free:
- Don’t call or text while driving. Instead, pull over in a safe place to read and send texts or make a phone call.
- Establish a “co-pilot” passenger to manage your cell phone, GPS, and other distractions.
- Look up your destination ahead of time and become familiar with the area. This will help prevent the need to look at GPS while driving.
- Enjoy your meal at home, in the restaurant, or while parked safely. Eating while driving increases your risk of traffic collisions and the likelihood of choking.
- Keep pets crated or otherwise secured for safety. This will help keep your furry friend safer in the event of a crash and prevents them from crawling onto your lap or other distracting activities.
- Recruit the whole family for distraction-free driving. Teach your children the importance of keeping your attention on the road even before they can drive.
- If your children need help, pull over to help address their needs instead of reaching to the backseat while driving.
- Encourage friends and family to drive distraction-free. By speaking up, you may save their life and others on the road.
For more information and tips visit our website at www.lincolncountysheriff.net and like us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon.
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