The Most Common Ways People Die In The Wilderness

Foraging is a pastime many enjoy and a handy skill to have and maintain. A day spent foraging can turn up some delicious and even medicinal foods for little to no cost. At times, though, foraging can be dangerous if you don't know exactly what you're looking at. There have been cases of people making mistakes, and choosing the wrong plant to eat, leading to accidental poisoning. In some cases, this mistake can lead to a person's death.

According to Eat the Planet, in 2016, there were over 5,000 cases of poisonings from plants and mushrooms acquired through foraging and thirteen deaths. This is why it's paramount that you educate yourself on what you're foraging for, and the area you're foraging in. Steer clear of locations that have been exposed to chemicals or heavy pesticides, and carry extra water and a first aid kit just in case.

To gain knowledge about foraging and safe plants to eat, there are a few strategies. You could shadow someone with high-level foraging skills and absorb their information and insight. Another way is to teach yourself by learning about as many plants as possible and educating yourself thoroughly on the region you plan to hunt in. Knowledge, safety, and a healthy amount of caution will go a long way to prevent any unwanted illness or death from a typically enjoyable skill.

It may seem obvious that one reason people die in the wilderness is the wildlife, but it isn't as common as many believe. Deaths caused by wildlife are actually quite rare, but they do happen. Dangerous wildlife encounters are often avoidable if proper safety measures are taken.

There are a lot of ways a person can be killed by wildlife, depending on your region of exploration the wildlife that poses the biggest risk can be large or small. In National Parks, between 2007 and 2013, wildlife-related deaths included four people killed by bears, one killed from a snakebite, and one death by mountain goat (via The Washington Post).

A good way to avoid a wildlife-related death is to educate yourself on the area in which you'll be spending time. Learn about the species that frequent the area and what to do if you encounter them. Don't make the mistake of not being prepared for the location you're in as it's the best plan of action. Hopefully, it will be enough to keep your outdoor adventure pleasant and safe.

There's a variety of strategies for one to avoid getting lost when in an unfamiliar space. A compass, GPS, the sun, a map, or in some cases, a very good sense of direction are all tools that people can utilize to remain aware of where they are at all times. Even a beginner's knowledge of reading a map is especially important when hiking, camping, or exploring the outdoors in general. Getting lost in the wild can be a terrifying experience that, in a multitude of ways, can lead to a person's death.

Getting lost is a fairly common occurrence. In 2023, Yosemite National Forest Search and Rescue found that 4,661 people were lost in the woods each year (via Survival Dispatch). Not everyone who gets lost is found, though. In Yosemite National Forest alone, 158 people each year are found dead after getting lost in the wilderness. Learning directional skills is one of the best ways a person can save their own life before something bad happens. Losing your way in the wilderness can lead to death by exposure if nothing else, and there's no guarantee that a Search and Rescue team will locate you in time to save you. It's better to educate yourself on a variety of directional tools and go outside prepared for the worst — to prevent the worst.

There are a lot of common misconceptions regarding lighting. For example, the idea that it can never strike the same place twice is a dangerous myth to believe. Lighting can and will strike the same place multiple times, with just as much force. Lightning strikes don't just occur in the wilderness but anywhere outside if the weather is right.

Much like avalanches, an average of 28 people per year die from lightning strikes, per the CDC. Outdoor activities like camping, water sports, and outdoor sports increase the chances of being struck, but there are a few things that one can do to prevent being hit by lightning. Try your hardest to avoid water, if you're out on a lake or river, seek land as quickly as you can. Don't head to elevated areas, and do seek fully-covered shelter. If stormy conditions begin to stir while you're spending time outdoors, it's best to locate a safe spot to wait it out and resume your activities afterward.

Not every warm day is the perfect day to spend time outdoors doing physical activity. When you're out camping, hiking, backpacking, or doing any other adventuring and far from shelter or medical facilities and the temperature is dangerously high, it's crucial not to over-exert yourself. The consequences of not being cautious on a hot day could be deadly.

According to the CDC, approximately 1,220 people die each year in the United States from extreme heat. Heat exhaustion is what happens when the body loses excessive amounts of salt and water before it can be replenished. This extreme loss typically happens through excessive sweating. Several groups of people are more susceptible to heat exhaustion than others, including those with high blood pressure, the elderly, and those spending time participating in outdoor activities like hiking.

Be aware of the symptoms of heat exhaustion, headache, nausea, dizziness, irritability, thirst, heavy sweating, decreased urine output, weakness, and elevated body temperature. To avoid the possibility of heat exhaustion, it's important to plan by checking the weather and knowing your limits. If the temperature is particularly high, it may be best to hold off on doing too much and stay inside. 

A heart attack happens every forty seconds in the United States, whether someone is in the wilderness or at home in their kitchen (via CDC). While getting outside and participating in activities like hiking, backpacking, and fishing, these can all put a large amount of stress on the cardiovascular system, and for those who are less experienced or get little physical activity, the strain and risk can be greater. There are ways to lower the risk of having a heart attack, like knowing your family history and improving your physical condition slowly over time but it can still happen. In many cases, heart attacks can happen to someone multiple times throughout their life, and there are even instances when heart attacks go unnoticed but still damage the body.

If you experience a heart attack while spending time outdoors, it's likely medical services are far away, or that you're in a location with no cell service. This makes it difficult for a person to receive proper care on time. If a person is alone, the situation can become even more dangerous. Heart attacks are a big reason people die in the wilderness because it isn't necessarily something people can foresee in their planning and requires a visit to a medical facility.

There isn't a pleasant way to die in the wilderness, but some ways are far more common than others. Falling is the number one accidental cause of death for hikers. One misstep can happen in the blink of an eye. Many are lucky and get back up again with little to no injuries, but depending on where a person lands after their fall, they might not get so lucky.

The National Park Service reports that falls account for around 17 percent of deaths in the parks each year, and overall they account for 50 percent of known hiker's deaths per year. This is why it's important for hikers to remain aware of their surroundings and to know their limits. Hiking a trail while feeling tired from physical activity or weather conditions is a recipe for disaster. Hikers should also take note of where they'll be hiking and obtain proper footwear for that specific terrain.

There are a lot of ways a person could die in the wilderness. Many of them didn't make it on this list, and preparedness for any of these possibilities will lower the risk and make for a much more pleasant experience.