Here's a quick story and I want folks in Southern PA to be on alert for this person (for his and possibly your safety ) and also want your advice on what i did right and wrong in this instance.

Sunday, Sept 9, 2018 - I entered Quarry gap shelter area around 1pm (near Fayettesville hiking SOBO . i needed to shelter for an hour for lunch rest. The shelter initially appeared empty but as I entered I saw a person working on his laptop in one of the two sleeping areas. I was solo and entered quietly ion the other side. I removed my pack and gently shook off my rain gear making a noise. This dude immediately emerged from that shelter with wild - bugged out eyes with his body and hands tense - I immediately thought to myself "this person is not right" but I considered maybe I freaked him out with him thinking I was a bear. He continued to glare at me threateningly for a long while as if I were disturbing him and had no right to be there. I broke the tension with "Hi, good day to rest a bit or take a zero huh?" He reached out extended both hands forward with his fingers contorted and in an agitated voice rambled "the other hikers poisoned me - poisoned my food - vaso-contrictors or beta blockers from blood pressure meds. My hands are too cold not to have been poisoned. I dont have a jacket" and more. I calmly and concernedly began to say "that it was unlikely that hikers poisoned him with blood pressure meds and just maybe...". He cut me off visibly enraged "DONT TELL ME WHAT I KNOW, I was married to a Dr for 6 years and I WAS poisoned" - he d repeated "I dont want to talk to you - I dont want to talk to you".

Whoa...I was actually scared for my safety at this point as this dude was completely off the rails and raging at a stranger, that being me.. I backed away and said "dude you brought this up - not me - this is a shelter and should be a place of welcoming -not hostility". Unfortunately due to heavy rain I had to stay only a few feet away next to where he was - but I popped opened the sheath to my knife and bear spray on my pack- just in case. As I guardedly ate my food, I became less concerned of him and considered he was just mental and in some distress, but not a physical threat. I was wickedly soaked and pretty cold myself, so I pulled out my emergency fleece hoodie from my dry bag and was about to put it on as I packed up, but I instead thought better of it and instead offered it to him to keep since he didnt have a jacket and was caught by the unexpected weather. He decline with an emphatic NO, I'm fine. I put on my gear and left without another word or glance his way. I did think of alerting any hikers I passed, but there were none that day as the weather was bad. I briefly considered contacting the authorities to get him help, but I considered that too extreme for someone who was just socially off kilter, riding out the weather.

So here I am a day or so later..Did I handle this correct or not? And what should have I done differently? Should I have alerted the authorities? The logic is - if he was poisoned he was a victim of a crime, and if he wasn't (which is most likely isnt it?) he was having a complete psychotic break and a potential threat to hikers or himself.