The most common mistakes made by mushroom pickers include: failing to inform anyone (relatives, friends, neighbours) about your destination and expected return time, venturing into unfamiliar areas using unknown routes, leaving your mobile phone at home or taking it uncharged, going into the forest while feeling unwell or knowing about existing health conditions without taking necessary medication.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) has reminded mushroom pickers about forest safety rules. This was reported to BELTA by the department's press service.
The most common mistakes made by mushroom pickers include: failing to inform anyone (relatives, friends, neighbours) about your destination and expected return time, venturing into unfamiliar areas using unknown routes, leaving your mobile phone at home or taking it uncharged, going into the forest while feeling unwell or knowing about existing health conditions without taking necessary medication.
Furthermore, many people go into the forest without considering the weather conditions, such as heading out before heavy rain, thunderstorms, or strong winds, or wearing camouflage clothing which makes it difficult to spot a lost person. It is not recommended to let children or elderly people go into the forest unaccompanied, to venture into dense woods without food, water, a knife, or matches, to ignore the importance of remembering and creating landmarks, to panic and wander aimlessly if lost, to travel at night, or if forced to spend the night while lost, to go to sleep without marking your location in any way (with a flashlight, campfire smoke, or bright items on a tree).
"The most important thing for someone lost in the forest is to reach people. Important landmarks include power lines, clearings, and paths. If you cannot find your way out of the forest, call 101 or 112. If you are unable to contact rescuers, stop and calm down, do not wander, especially in the dark. Organise a place to spend the night, mark it, and wait for help; you will be found. You can familiarise yourself with the correct sequence of actions necessary for safe immersion in nature in the mobile application "MES of Belarus: Help is Nearby", as well as in the thematic sections "Be Prepared" and "Life Hacks"," the department added.