Question

Miriam overslept and missed the exodus of Moses and the gang out of Egypt.  She has tried to catch up with them, and has made her way to the Sinai Peninsula.  Late one afternoon (5 PM), she is spotted by a gang of angry, vengeful Egyptian soldiers.  To escape them, she “heads for hills”, and starts running up into the mountains.  During her run she notices that even though she is at an elevation exceeding 3000 m, the environment is still very hot (31^oC) and dry (RH= 9%).  She is glad that she has been a hard worker for her 22 years of life for it has left her a lean and mean machine. (%Fat = 12%, VO_2max = 55 ml/kg/min), she only hopes that she finds water soon since she has only 250 ml of water with her.  It is now 6:30 PM and she figures that she can stop running when it gets dark (sunset @ 7:13 pm). Do you think Miriam will survive the next 43 minutes and escape capture?  What physiologic and thermal problems has Miriam experienced up to now, and what can she expect to experience before sunset?

Answer 1

Answer :)

Miriam is under the flight of fight action. The homeostasis would react to control the water loss in the body as the epinephrine level rises. Therefore, there is still a good chance for Mariam to escape from there by continuously moving for 43 minutes. This is supported by her VO2 level, as it is very good. Her body is capable to work in harsh conditions. Even without water, she can move up to more than 1 hour. There is still 250 mL water, which will help her to escape.

She is under dehydration, the risk for hypothermia, and trembling or shaking Before sunset, she might feel dizziness because of lack of water and extreme fatigue.