By Thomas Geyer
Quad City Times
ELY, Minn. — A Davenport man who hurt his leg with an axe while in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota used a tourniquet and bandaging to stem the bleeding until help arrived.
According to a news release issued by St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, the sheriff’s department received an SOS notification that had been sent from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to Global Rescue. The SOS was received at 6:33 p.m. Tuesday.
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The sheriff’s department’s rescue squad coordinated rescue and medical efforts with assistance from Zups Cabins on Lac-La-Croix, Anderson Outfitters, Orr Ambulance and the Crane Lake and Virginia fire departments.
Rescuers located Christopher Banfield, who had used a tourniquet and bandages to stop the bleeding after he had injured himself with an axe.
Banfield was taken to Cook Hospital.
The sheriff’s office said people should properly prepare themselves when entering the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, “like Mr. Banfield did and be prepared to administer first aid to those in their camping party or to themselves as emergency medical resources are not readily available.”
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