Hikers with 3-month-old baby rescued from life-or-death situation on trail

Venturing into the Great Outdoors is fun, but should be taken seriously. Nature has proven time and time again that it's not very forgiving when it comes to those who enter its domain unprepared – and the ante gets upped when tiny humans are involved.

A case from earlier this month out of Texas puts the importance of understanding how to mitigate and avoid risks on display, with a family of three, including a 3-month-old infant, requiring rescue from a life-or-death situation.

On August 20 at about 4:15 p.m., rangers of Guadalupe Mountains National Park received a distress call related to a family in dire straits. According to the report, two 23-year-old adults and a 3-month-old infant had become stranded on a trail when their mid-morning hike proved to be more strenuous than expected.

By about 3 p.m. and after traveling nine miles in hot and arid terrain, the family had run out of water and was also starting to show signs of heat exhaustion and dehydration.

A helicopter was used to locate the family from the air, and all three were hoisted to a ground crew that could provide additional medical care.

The situation thankfully had a happy ending, but it's easy to see how it could have had a much more negative outcome. For example, what might have happened had the family been unable to get out a call for help?

It's also worth noting that bringing a three-month-old along for this excursion was probably not a good idea. Infants are obviously much more susceptible to the elements compared to a full-grown adult. This reality might mean that parents should avoid some outdoor excursions altogether.

This situation is reminiscent of parents who bring young children up Colorado's fourteeners. In general, there's often too much risk to do so, especially if a child is too young travel on their own two feet. The presence of a young child drastically complicates many situations should anything go wrong – not to mention how altitude can impact children in ways that adults may not notice.

Unless in a very controlled environment, it's probably best to leave the baby at home under the supervision of a responsible adult.

Read more about bringing babies on fourteeners here .

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