Who is this person ?
We all know is that we should never ride in the dunes alone. Even though we have been taught this rule since we have been going to the dunes, we have all broken it at one time or another. We may just go for a quick test run, a trip to the store, to meet someone or just to feel the wind in our hair. When we get to the dunes, the first thing we do is take our wallet and lock it up someplace safe, so it doesn't get lost in the sand. We then take the long anticipated : "I'll be right back", "I'm just going up the road"trip . What would happen if while you were on that "Quick Trip" something catastrophic happened to you? How would anyone know who you are?
This happened to our friend Mike Roark. He told his friend Russ , he would follow him back to camp and never showed up. When Russ went looking for Mike, he found EMT's, life flight and rangers all grouped around a body under a sheet on the ground. Mike's buggy was nearby. Mike had his ID on him, but no one knew where he was camped, or who to call. If Russ had not found him, it would have been many hours before Mike's camp and loved ones were located,if it ever were located. A very sobering thought when you think of friends and loved ones waiting for our safe return.
This scary situation prompted Russ and his wife Valerie to come up with a new program called:Got Desert I.D.?" Working in conjunction with officials at the dunes, they are implementing a way to ID and locate all dune lovers. The easy to fill out yellow florescent card will list pertinent information, such as:name, contact information, medical alerts, and license plate number and camp/GPS locations. The cards will easily attach to any Sand Rail, Quad or Motorcycle.
This program debuted on Thanksgiving weekend, 2009. Russ and Valerie hope that everyone will take advantage of these ID cards, so nobody will ever again wonder...............
"WHO IS THIS PERSON?"
