Never say die

Blake and Neil displayed a classic instinct of people who survive — never giving up, said Bernstein, who runs the Boulder, Colo., wilderness training program, one of the nation’s oldest.

“People who pull through survival situations never question their chance to live — they keep trying despite the odds. The will to live ultimately kept them alive.”

Here are his tips on what to do when things go wrong.

Preparedness: “Blake and Neil could have spent more time assessing the risks of running the Koyukuk early in the season. The shoulder seasons present unusual risks, and hitting a wall of ice would not be out of the realm. A few inquiries with experienced local rafters might have given them more caution.”

Awareness: “Thickening ice on the banks should have given them some concern. They should have been more vigilant in noticing any changes in the river.”

Gear: “Since capsizing is not an impossible scenario, someone should have had a ditch kit or other essential gear. A pouch with a space blanket, signal mirror, food bars, fish hooks, etc., would have been great to have.”

Safety: “Technically, it is usually a mistake for a lost party to split up. But in this case, I can see why Blake felt the need to hasten any rescue effort, and given the way things turned out, it seems to have worked for him.”

Signaling: “Making a commotion on the ground was excellent. So was Blake waving the life vest and making himself visible to the pilot.”