Oh, here’s a tale about a lost Colorado hiker who played hide-and-seek with their rescuers. So, this adventurous soul didn’t pick up calls from a mysterious number, thinking it was probably some random call.
Now, this whole saga started when the hiker went missing on October 18, 2021, after trying to conquer Mount Elbert, the tallest mountain in Colorado, according to the Lake County Search and Rescue folks.
The worry bells rang when the hiker didn’t make it back by 8:00 PM after setting off at 9:00 AM the same day.
Search crews did their best the next day, but guess what? They couldn’t find our lost friend. Turns out, the hiker wandered off the trail and spent the night trying to find it again. Oh boy, talk about an adventurous detour!
After about 24 hours of being lost, they eventually found the trail and made it to their car – all without knowing that a search team had been looking for them.
In a statement posted to Facebook, Lake County Search and Rescue said: “Multiple attempts to contact the subject via their cell phone were unsuccessful.”
“The subject stated they’d lost the trail around nightfall and spent the night searching for the trail, and once on the trail, bounced around onto different trails trying to locate the proper trailhead, finally reaching their car the next morning, approximately 24 hours after they’d started their hike. They had no idea that SAR was out looking for them,” the statement continued.
“One notable take-away is that the subject ignored repeated phone calls from us because they didn’t recognize the number,” the statement added, emphasizing the importance of picking up the phone if others ever find themselves in a similar situation. “If you’re overdue according to your itinerary, and you start getting repeated calls from an unknown number, please answer the phone; it may be a SAR team trying to confirm you’re safe!
“Finally, to Mount Elbert hikers, please remember that the trail is obscured by snow above treeline, and will be in that condition now through probably late June. Please don’t count on following your ascent tracks to descend the mountain, as wind will often cover your tracks.”
After the hiker faced criticism, Lake County Search and Rescue stepped up in their defense, pointing out that “common sense in hindsight is not obvious to a subject in the moment when they are lost and panicking.”
“Please remember that what seems like common sense in hindsight is not obvious to a subject in the moment when they are lost and panicking. In Colorado, most folks who spend time outdoors have a good understanding of the SAR infrastructure that is there to help them, but this is not the case nationwide. Please keep your comments respectful,” they wrote.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Source: NBC News
