Although currently a lot of research (Zuckerman, 1994; Pomfret, 2006; Callary & Durand-Bush, 2008; Rowe & Regehr, 2010; Klee & Renner, 2013; Tofler & Hyatt, 2018; etc.) provides insight into why people engage in mountain climbing at high altitudes, or rescue work in general, less is thought about as their the work is perceived by the rescuers working in the Mountain Rescue Service (HZS), who are a unique combination of both possibilities. Unlike many previous works that simply reported related attributes, our work explores the life experiences of mountain rescuers in saving human life, making them significantly different from traditional sports and traditional rescue. The reactions of mountain rescuers in extreme environments and extreme conditions cannot be simulated. The driving force behind a person's intention to enter a potentially dangerous environment in order to help, or saving lives, can help explain other individual or group factors. The aim of our article is therefore to understand how individuals working in the HZS perceive their main life experiences, and subsequently to point out the psychological and sociological constructs related to the given profession. In addition, due to the risk, extreme conditions in the mountains, responsibility for the injured person and long-term experience of individuals, the examination of overall subjective experiences appears more than desirable. It is a response to the lack of research in this area1.

Theoretical principles

At the beginning of the 20th century, Husserl (1970) - in response to the crisis of Western science, which he addressed - reminded us of the urgency to return "to life." The crisis of Western science has alienated the experiencing self from the world of immediate experience. He believed that the return to immediate experiences was more important than the increasingly developing technical world. Immediate experience provides the basis for what it means to be human. Mountaineering also provides an opportunity for people to return to the world of life by living in immediate relationship with the natural world. Examining the experiences of people performing mountain rescue therefore provides us with an opportunity to understand the dimensions of human experience in the context of the natural landscape, rescue and mountaineering.

Based on Husserl's idea, we believe that mountain performance, such as mountaineering, opens up the opportunity to evoke a lasting experience of being. In this way, we can try to discover what it means to be truly human in phenomenological dimensions (body, time and space). The central structure of experience from a phenomenological point of view is its intentionality, that is, consciousness is directional. An example of intentionality in the context of mountain climbing and rescue is, for example, helping an injured person on Gerlachovský štít, where climbing is perceived not only as a physical act of movement from the bottom to the top, but includes e.g. also the motivation of people, their relationships with colleagues and nature, or natural conditions. The whole event thus becomes something that is much more than an activity, but is transformed into a meaningful activity and a way to understand and give meaning to the experience of mountain rescuers.

Research Overview

Based on critical incident stress debriefings, Mitchell & Bray (1990) compiled characteristics referred to as the "rescue personality." Under the term rescue personality, we can imagine a personality that is calm, easily bored, has high standards of performance and detail orientation, is empathetic and conscientious, has a strong need to help people and is very determined. The term "rescue personality" is intended to describe those who enter professions where the performance is rescue actions to help other people. The profile describes emergency services such as police officers, soldiers, firefighters and paramedics, including mountain rescuers, who often work in unusual environments with a high risk of injury and death. In this context, Klee & Renner (2013) also express support for the proposed profile. The listed rescue units are teams that, according to Melkonian & Picq (2010), are obliged to achieve common goals of strategic and/or vital importance. Mountains are an environment to which we are not optimally adapted, but we can adapt by developing coping strategies. Only experienced people can work in an unpredictable situation and in an unusual environment characterized by more intense environmental stimuli. It requires a multifaceted movement repertoire, strength, coordination, physical and mental health (e.g. Philippe et al., 2012; Rosponi et al., 2012).

The structure of the intervention and rescue activity thus reveals two closely related sides: the target side, represented by goals and tasks that must be solved according to certain qualitative and quantitative standards, and the subjective side, represented by the overall skills, capacities and necessary resources for the persons participating in this activity. Rescuers' operational decisions can directly affect their own vulnerability.

The "adrenaline rush," as mountain climbing is commonly called, has been investigated by numerous approaches in psychology. Although research has shown higher levels of sensation-seeking for thrills, adventure, motivation, and challenge in high-altitude climbers (Ewert, 1994; Pomfret, 2006; Callary & Durand-Bush, 2008), there are differences in personality characteristics. Some studies link involvement in this high-risk sport to the search for meaning, e.g. personality construct introduced into psychology by Zuckerman (1994). He defines the seeking of situations that are unfamiliar or risky as the search for varied, novel and intense sensations with the willingness to accept physical and social risks for such experiences. Following these feelings and experiences may explain why certain types of people are drawn to dangerous and strenuous activities at high altitudes. However, Buckley (2018) points to a definition that combines elements of personality and role. Mountaineering is a performance where death is potential, survival depends on a moment of skill, and the emotions associated with excitement are central concepts. Thus, it turns out that risk is not as central as traditionally assumed. Climbers believe that their level of preparation reduces risk despite the many variables that increase risk (Tofler & Hyatt, 2018). In contrast, Langseth & Salvesen (2018) focus on the role of values, specifically the extent to which risk-taking is embedded in the value system of mountaineering and the extent to which risk-taking leads to mutual recognition and trust in climbing communities, finding a clear link between the two.

Research Progress

In our research, we found that the reactions of mountain rescuers in extreme environments and conditions cannot be simulated. In such a case, it is necessary to deal mainly with the meaning, how the participants experience the events, in other words, to focus on the quality of the experience rather than on causal relationships. It requires understanding and interpreting different people's conversations. In our case, the conversation represents the world, it is connected with the creation of the interpretation of meaning, it reveals the understanding of the phenomenon and the clarification of the rescue phenomenon. Given that our aim is to understand the lived experience of mountain rescuers, we analyzed the interview transcripts using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). After immersing ourselves in the recording and transcribing the interviews verbatim, we proceeded with a procedure that consisted of six steps (Smith, Flowers & Larkin, 2009):

  1. Reading and re-reading the printed text in order to gain "actor insight," starting with empathically sharing the participant's feelings and providing insight into the participant's life world.
  2. Notes and comments of the researcher. However, after repeated reading of the text, we seem to automatically underline some words and connections. We create notes and comments, which we distinguish by color depending on whether they were descriptive, linguistic, or conceptual notes. We tried to perceive what was essential in relation to the phenomenon, expanding the data by examining language and content.
  3. The emergence of the first themes and the search for connections to the gradual development of superior themes. At this moment, a double hermeneutic comes into play, which means that we move from what meaning the participant attaches to the phenomenon under investigation, and we move towards how the researcher understands how the participant understands this phenomenon under investigation.
  4. Searching for connections between the emerging themes, which were grouped according to their similarities, differences, systematicity and hierarchical relationships, illuminating the experience of "being a mountain rescuer."
  5. After the fourth step, we proceeded to analyze the next interview. We thus maintained a detailed investigation of an individual case and only after reaching a certain level of interpretation did we move on to the next (Smith, 2004). This is how we gradually processed the individual transcripts of the interviews.
  6. Finding patterns between stories. We asked ourselves questions such as: Which theme appears to be the strongest? How can the theme of one story help illuminate another story? What are the connections between the stories? After repeatedly going through the texts, we created a table of common topics, where we entered notes and topics, which we constantly shaped and modified. We repeated this process until we reached a final list of superordinate and subordinate common themes.

We are convinced that IPA with its theoretical supports in phenomenology and hermeneutics and its idiographic perspective is a method that can connect our research with the mentioned research literature and thus bring the expected result of life experiences and meanings that mountain rescuers attribute to their experiences.

The research question was based on the initial interest in motivational factors regarding the choice of profession to work as a mountain rescuer, and also from the perspective of his experience. However, research participants indicated situational and subjective dynamics that colored these experiences even more. They presented a kaleidoscope of experiences that had some influence on "being a mountain rescuer."

So the research question was: What is the experience of mountain rescuers? In an effort to obtain information about the phenomenon of lived experience from the participant's point of view, we used semi-structured interviews, which are inherently "discovery," not "explanatory" (Smith, Flowers & Larkin, 2009). During the interview, additional questions specifying the framework of the interview and to assess the possible impact of the change in wording were also asked. Interviews in the range of 21 to 40 minutes were recorded on a mobile phone and subsequently transcribed verbatim, while the transcription of the given interview was carried out before the next recording. Such a procedure is beneficial from a methodological point of view, because it can be used to revise the plan and strategy when conducting an interview (Smith, Flowers & Larkin, in Koutná Kostínková & Čermák, 2013). Notes from the field written down during the interviews recorded the observed behaviors of us and the participants. The following are 7 questions prepared for this research study, which have been grouped together to present a picture of what the experience of mountain rescuers is like:

  1. What is the journey of a mountain rescuer from the beginning to today?
  2. What does rescue or saving someone mean to you?
  3. Do you remember your top experience?
  4. What was the worst experience for you?
  5. How do you perceive risk?
  6. Lifeguard forever?
  7. If you yourself wanted to add something as a "point" in our conversation, what would it be?

The homogeneity of our sample is expressed both by the experience of mountain rescuers and by the uniform gender of the participants. Based on the recommendation of Smith et al. (2009), which recommends 3-6 participants, we selected three men aged 40 (Adam), 50 (Maroš) and 59 (Karol). Also according to other authors (Larkin, Watts & Clifton, 2006), a larger number of participants would be at the expense of the richness of data in individual stories. We considered the age range of the participants to be interesting, because we believed that it could help us capture the diversity of the phenomenon under investigation. In order to ensure that the study could draw on a wide range of experiences, we further introduced the following criteria: the participants must still be employed in the HZS, they must have been employed for at least 10 years, they have professional qualifications for rescue work on the ski slope, ground rescue work and rescue work using a helicopter using rope technology.

As the author works in HZS2, we had the necessary information available. The selection of participants was therefore purposeful, because as Smith et al. (2009), purposive sampling can offer a research project insight into the experience under study. We personally approached the first participant who expressed interest in sharing his story. The first participant suggested other individuals, from whom other participants were approached based on the established criteria. This is how we got more participants in a "snowball" way.

Results

The presented research paper offers a unique insight into the lived experiences of three mountain rescuers. The data analyzed yield five common themes that represent key findings: (1) motivation, (2) risk, (3) learning, (4) mission, and (5) teamwork.

Motivation The topic of motivation appears as the first important topic. We confirm the findings of research studies that challenge the assumption that only a certain type of person engages in rock climbing, or that it is driven by a desire for risk and danger. When rescuers are called to a rescue operation, they try to take preventive measures, which would mean that even risk-taking is not part of their motivation. Instead, we highlight differences in overall motivation and interests. Our findings confirm that among mountain rescuers there are tendencies towards determination ("...I think that on the second or third attempt of the selection process I actually managed to get into the professional corps"), either to pursue my dream ("...I actually dreamed that it would be wonderful to have such a job as working in the mountain service, or to be a mountain rescuer"), or to their interests and to carry out activities, especially within the mountaineering and ski mountaineering community (e.g.: "...it's a job or an activity where you can move around on skis in the winter, so I took it, and you can climb and simply be outside." "...by coincidence, I joined the rescue team when it was there, I actually went there and was helpful, well, like this") Love for mountains, movement in nature, skiing, mountaineering, freedom, flow ("being immersed in the mountains") and meaning in an effort to help others ("...but I remember that it always felt so good when we went climbing somewhere, or to save lives, and not only to save lives, but to help"), were noted as important elements of the motivation of mountain rescuers. The effort of the participants to help others was important in all aspects of life, both professional and personal. The identified internal motivation, which points to the participants' psychological need to engage in something without obvious external benefits, is characteristic of all participants.

Risk The second important topic is the topic related to risk. This general dimension reflected participants' interaction and interpretation of risk. The evaluation of the risks of mountain rescuers was evident, as well as the awareness and acceptance of the risks associated with the performance (e.g.: "...it's clear with this rescue service, there is always a risk." "...hey, because it really is, I think it's a rather risky work mode." "...I don't perceive the risk." "...I don't accept the risk, I don't accept it"). Each participant described coping strategies that help them reduce the negative consequences of rescue work. We found that paramedics in their highly stressful profession often use sarcasm, cynical humor, or black humor to relieve tension and manage stress during the performance of duty. In line with several research studies (Rowe & Regehr, 2010; Gavrilovic et al., 2003), our findings suggest that humor used by mountain rescuers can be one of the coping strategies, even that it is necessary for their profession ("...or simply eliminate the stress, so more or less many times it is, I don't say fun, but it is, it's fine, just the stress, or better said the risk there so much I don't perceive"). Participants also demonstrated the ability to manage certain risks through experience, planning and preparation. Rather, they try to assess the risk, which must be overcome, rather than ignore it ("...simply if we are a well-coordinated team, we can secure those things and do it tactically and technically in such a way that we minimize the risk to almost zero, or indeed minimize it"). All participants talked about the experience of death. Among the negative characteristics shared by the participants are the severity of injury to children, the death of a child or a friend. Between managing emotions and risk, or we did not find a significant relationship with the stress during the rescue operation, which is positively related to performance: "I don't accept the risk as such, I don't accept it. You know about it, but now what, you turn around and walk away? You're just doing your job." On the contrary, rescuers help themselves by adopting strategies for coping with the load and increasing their level of resilience: "...with that experience, courage also grows, one knows that many times time does not pass, and even some things cannot be speeded up, especially in bad weather, that means with that experience the rescuer becomes so cold-blooded." These results were quite expected because emergency responders are aware of this phenomenon and often suppress their emotions. Not a single paramedic showed a coping strategy for traumatic events by avoiding/distancing from the situation.

Learning Recognition of the essence of learning is found in all participants. Rescuers emphasize exploration, discovery, and a relational perspective combining deep knowledge of self and tasks and attuning to information in the environment as key to effective performance: "I learned how to behave there myself." The same experiences with the role of cognition have also been highlighted in research studies (Allen – Collinson et al., 2017; Shilling, 2017). Developing skills and expertise also helps them mitigate negative thoughts about their abilities, and they describe preparation as important for an effective response. We can also note the positive influence of the older generation on the participants: "Basically, I could learn something from these people." The method of personal discussions, observation, meetings and knowledge during the performance of the rescue operation was identified as the most frequent method of passing on knowledge and experience. As well as education, the transfer of knowledge was described by all participants as important and beneficial.

Mission The analysis of the data of the fourth topic points to the fact that the general term "profession" is replaced by the term "mission" by the participants. We found that this highly valued and supported phenomenon among participants probably has its basis in a transformation that involves a change in values. Values ​​are relatively stable, but the range of some can be adjusted according to circumstances and changes in life (Veroff, Reuman, & Feld, 1984). At the core, values ​​are about who we want to be, not just what we want to do in a particular situation. An illustration of this idea can be found e.g. in stories about heroes. For rescue workers, this means acting according to their own values ​​in the face of a potential threat and negative consequences. We found that the source of such behavior among mountain rescuers is a sense of responsibility for others, a belief in one's own ability to help others, and also an activity orientation ("Rescue has a deeper meaning for me"). However, it may also mean that the participants were influenced by the "heroic influence" of the previous generation during the decisive period of their work in the HZS, while they saw themselves in the context. Also according to Campbell (2004), heroic stories "provide a field in which to find yourself" and "carry the individual through the stages of life." Finally, motivational transformation refers to a complete shift in purpose or perceived direction in life, and it is perfectly described by Adam's statement: "So this was my first experience, what exactly... what is this robot about and you also immediately set your values." The results also show that professional rescuers recognize over-involvement in a variety of situations.

Teamwork The last major theme is teamwork. Before the participants became mountain rescuers, the team members were primarily climbers. That also led them to this work. This intensive practice builds trust between rescuers. Our findings indicate that support in a mountain rescue team develops from established relationships not only in work, but also in personal life, especially from the mountaineering or ski mountaineering community, and is unique. Its importance was mentioned differently by each participant, the sense of belonging was described the most, words like friend, partner, group, party, team were often mentioned. In terms of efficiency, the team as such plays a central role for the participants. The emphasis placed on teamwork and the development of collaborative learning to support this process is clearly evident in the theme. According to our findings, mountain rescuers support each other in stressful situations and try to "lighten things up a little" in difficult situations. A research study on highly cohesive teams cites equal support within the team as one of the factors (Young et al., 2010). Finally, we find out that mountain rescuers believe in professionalism and with their behavior and characteristics demonstrate a high level of this trait in their profession: "...but there on the spot we should behave like professionals, politely and try to help those people out of the problem they got into."

Summary and recommendations for practice Although generalization was not the goal of this research - the purpose was to delve deeply into each individual case using analytical processes - a limitation of the study is that this research represents experiences at a specific time period. Finally, even accidents in the mountains are different in nature, every death is different and every situation is unique. The results included in this research may not be applicable to all other events, and mountain rescuers who were not interviewed may not have the same experience as the participants in this study.

Overall, however, the current research has several implications. First, we attempted to fill the gap in the review of research studies with an understanding of the mountain rescuer career, using available literature and research to guide our reflections on their experiences. A survey of published literature and studies thus showed us that our work is a unique and pioneering effort in the field.

Second, the current study highlighted the importance of coping strategies for stress and negative events in the paramedic work environment. The participants described a lack of formal psychological support ("Sometimes it happens when you lie down at night, you think, especially when it's someone's unnecessary death. But what will you do, where will you go..."), but they considered the self-help option they mentioned useful. Our work reveals that mountain rescuers are often exposed to traumatic events and the prevalence rate can represent big differences ("...we say something to each other, but it's like dark humor after so many years, but mostly alone... And I tell you, when someone says that he doesn't care at all, he's a liar").

Thirdly, in our opinion, the above-mentioned findings mainly point to the need for increased psychological help for individuals who have been exposed to a traumatic event multiple times, or for those who report the already mentioned negative signs associated with their work, namely the death of a child or an acquaintance: "... how I have problems when children are there. Like the little boy who died... luckily I wasn't there, so this. It also depends on whether he is known or unknown." Therefore, the value of this population should be recognized in order to develop additional programs needed to optimize psychological preparation and performance. Recognizing such value begins with appreciating the experience of "becoming" and "being" a mountain rescuer. At the very least, psychoeducation seems to be one option to start with that could help normalize responses and clarify the needs of mountain rescuers. Further research would be needed to evaluate specific interventions in this population.

It also seems important to examine the long-term effects of coping strategies. The "in-the-moment" focus that first responders use to cope during traumatic circumstances leads to effective results in the moment, but it is questionable whether this approach can actually suppress emotions that may surface later and cause more serious and long-term problems.

We made it clear that the passion for mountains, rescue, mountaineering, ski mountaineering and volunteering are the basic motivations for the mountain rescue profession, along with idealism and "fellowship" despite the possible risk. Mountain rescuers are a diverse bunch, but this is what unites them. As is clear from the results, they appreciate the incentives that influenced their experience with the given profession, but also the circumstances related to the origin of their deeper meaning for the job in question. The essence of this phenomenon is the experience of all study participants.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be said that the overall essence of the phenomenon for the participants of our study is as follows: although the participants differ in specific responses to motivation, the love for the mountains and the effort to help others despite the expected risk dominate. However, it is interesting to note that all participants accept the risk. They seek to assess and overcome this risk, not ignore it, which may be partly due to the unique nature of this risky work, where the individual faces daily challenges and changing environments, leading to a more extreme psychological mindset. An example of such extreme thinking is the statement of Felix Baumgartner3: "Sometimes you have to be at a high level to understand how small you are." Rescuers have experienced a variety of traumatic events, including emotional, cognitive, and physiological. The strategy of humor appears to be the most effective strategy for managing them. The work of mountain rescuers shows a collective mentality and is conceived as a meaningful contribution to the greater good. There is an emerging emphasis on teamwork and the development of collaborative learning to support this process.

Although more research is needed, it currently appears that mountain rescuers can still use learned intervention strategies acquired through practice to optimize their performance. This is mainly a humor strategy, adopting a stress management strategy by assessing risk and increasing the level of resistance by adapting to undesirable events. Additional information would be useful if existing psychological strategies require specific change. Research aimed at investigating possible differences in the perception of traumatic events by individual rescuers would be needed. Our research provides a wealth of information about how mountain rescuers make sense of their experiences. It thus becomes a pioneering effort in the given area in Slovakia and is a valuable basis for further research.

Author: Mgr. Katarína Števčeková Photo: photos of HZS rescue operations

List of bibliographic references

ALLEN-COLLINSON, J. (2017). Weather work: embodiment and weather learning in a national outdoor exercise program. In Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, ISSN 2159676X, 2017, 10(1), 63-74. BUCKLEY, R.C. (2018). It Analyze Thrill, Define Extreme Sports. In Frontiers in Psychology, ISSN 1664-1078, 2018, 9(1216). Available on the Internet: https://www.readcube.com/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01216 CALLARY, B., DURAND-BUSH, N. (2008). A group resonance intervention with a volleyball team: An exploration of the process between a consultant, coach, and athletes. In The Online Journal of Athletic Insight, ISSN 1536-0431, 2008, 10(3), 1-35. CAMPBELL J. (2004). Pathways to Bliss: Mythology and Personal Transformation. Novato, CA: New World Library. 2004, 194 p. ISBN 9781577314714. EWERT, A.W. (1994). Playing the edge: Motivation and risk taking in a high altitude wilderness-like environment. In Environment and Behavior, ISSN 00139165, 1994, 26(1), 3-24. GAVRILOVIC, J., LECIC-TOSEVSKI, D., DIMIC, S., PEJOVIC-MILOVANCEVIC, M., KNEZEVIC, G., PRIEBE, S. (2003). Coping strategies in civilians during air attacks. In Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, ISSN 1433-9285, 2003, 38(3), 128-133. Husserl, E. (1970). The Crisis of European Sciences and the Transcendental Phenomenology: An Introduction to Phenomenological Philosophy. Illinois: Northwestern University Press. 1970, 405 p. ISBN 0-8101-0458-X. Mountain rescue service: Press release - year 2019. [online]. Horný Smokovec: HZS [cit. 2021-01-22]. Available on the Internet: . KLEE, S., RENNER, K.H. (2013). A questionnaire study with emergency medical services personnel. In Personality and Individual Differences, ISSN 0191-8869, 2013, 54(5), 669-672. LANGSETH, T., SALVESEN, Ø. (2018). Rock Climbing, Risk, and Recognition. In Frontiers in Psychology, ISSN 1664-1078, 2018, 9(1793). Available online: https://www.readcube.com/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01793 LARKIN, M., WATTS, S., CLIFTON, E. (2006). Giving voice and sense making in interpretative phenomenological analysis. In Qualitative Research in Psychology, ISSN 1478- 0895, 2006, 3(2), 102-120. MELKONIAN, T., PICQ, T. (2010). Opening the « black box » of collective competence in extreme projects: Lessons from the French Special Forces. In Project Management Journal, ISSN 1938-9507, 2010, 41(3), 79 90. MITCHELL, J.T., BRAY, G.P. (1990). Emergency services stress: Guidelines for Preserving the health and careers of emergency services personnel. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990, 183 p. ISBN 978-0893036874. PHILIPPE, M., WEGST, D., MULLER, T., RASCHNER, C., BURTSCHER, M. (2012). Climbing-specific finger flexor performance and forearm muscle oxygenation in elite male and female sport climbers. In European Journal of Applied physiology, ISSN 1439-6327, 2012, 112(8), 2839-2947. POMFRET, G. (2006). Mountaineering adventure tourists: A conceptual framework for research. Tourism Management, ISSN 0261-5177, 2006, 27(1), 113-123. ROSPONI, A., SCHENA, F., LEONARDI, A., TOSI, P. (2012). Influence of ascent speed on rock climbing economy. In Sport Sciences for Health, ISSN 1824-7490, 2012, 7(2-3), 71-80. ROWE, A., REGEHR, CH. (2010). Whatever Gets You Through Today: An Examination of Cynical Humor Among Emergency Service Professionals. In Journal of Loss and Trauma, ISSN 1532-5032, 2010, 15(5), 448-464. SHILLING, CH. (2017). Body Pedagogics: Embodiment, Cognition and Cultural Transmission. In Sociology (Oxford), ISSN 0038-0385, 2017, 51(6), 1205-1221. SMITH, J.A. (2004). Reflecting on the development of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and its contribution to qualitative research in psychology. In Qualitative Research in Psychology, ISSN 1478-0895, 2004, 1(1), 39-54. SMITH, J.A., FLOWERS, P., LARKIN, M. (2009). Interpretive phenomenological analysis: Theory, method and research. London: Sage Publications, 2009. 232 p. ISBN 978- 1412908344. TOFLER, I.R., HYATT, B.M., TOFLER, D.S. (2018). Psychiatric Aspects of Extreme Sports: Three Case Studies. In The Permanente Journal, ISSN 1552-5775, 2018, 22, 17-71. VEROFF, J., REUMAN, D., FELD, S. (1984). Motives in American men and women across the life span. In Developmental Psychology, ISSN 0012-1649, 1984, 20(6), 1142-1158. YOUNG, S., HEALEY, K., NEAME, V. (2010).

The Everest Disaster A case study on leadership and decision-making. Available online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241688568_The_Everest_Disaster_A_case_study_on_leader ship_and_decision-making_2010_by_Sam_Young_Kara_Healey_and_Vanessa_ We don't YouTube: Felix Baumgartner space jump world record 2012 [online]. San Bruno, CA: YouTube [cit. 2021-03-24]. Available on the Internet: . ZUCKERMAN, M. (1994). Behavioral expressions and biosocial biases of sensation seeking. New York: Cambridge Press, 1994. 480 p. ISBN 978-0521437707.

1 Based on the stories of the participants, on the basis of available statistical data on the number of interventions in mountain areas in Slovakia (HZS, 2019) and on the basis of data from research studies, mountain rescuers form an important and effective part of the service sector in rescue and search in mountain areas, helping a significant population. Examining their experiences is, in addition to the aforementioned, a relevant subject of research, due to the lack of research. We do not have a similar equivalent in the Slovak environment either. Existing studies were mainly created with the aim of investigating mountaineers, mountain guides, members of expeditions, or volunteers (see List of bibliographic references) 2 According to Hill et al. (1997) it is essential that the researcher when working with qualitative methods, such as IPA, had knowledge about the studied population and at the same time about wider social, cultural or historical contexts. 3 An extreme athlete, parachutist and BASE jumper known primarily for his extreme jump with a parachute from the stratosphere, when he jumped from a balloon capsule from a record height of 38,969.4 m. During this jump, he became the first person to break the speed of sound in free fall.