Solid advice: if you're lost and someone's calling, answer the phone
With my luck it'd be a Nigerian prince.
The Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter ~ Cam "Swami" Honan of OZ
We've been trying to reach you as your car's warranty may have expired...........
Why didn’t the rescuers send a text message, when they couldn’t reach him by phone.
or leave a voice mail
Because they were likely raised in a day and age where people used phones to speak to one another and the thot of sending a text to someone who was lost and not answering the phone probably was not "in their wheelhouse"....Originally Posted by gpburdelljr
I know plenty of old people who Refuse to "talk to a machine".........(this would include me as I am not speaking to my wife's Ford Explorer anymore.....)
I was raised in that ‘day and age’, but I use text all the time. I also don’t answer phone calls from numbers I don’t recognize, because I figure if it is important they will leave a voice mail. Rescuers tend to be younger (much younger than me), so I would think they would use texts and/or leave voicemails if the phone wasn’t answered. If they don’t, it should be part of their training.
Last edited by gpburdelljr; 10-25-2021 at 20:04.
Simple solution: txt him! Texting often works when a phone call wont go through. Its a non-threatening way to make first contact with someone.
I've met a number of people that I've gotten phone numbers from but wouldn't recognized my phone number. I txt them first, tell them who I am and where we met.
I rarely answer my phone unless caller ID comes up AND its an area code I know OR it is a number of someone in my contacts list.
http://www.trailjournals.com/flapjack
Spammers have figured out how to spoof phone numbers with a local area code, so I don’t answer any calls from numbers I don’t recognize. It it’s a legitimate call they will leave a message.
Who made the search and rescue call?
And you're lost on the highest mountain in Colorado and calls keep coming in and you ignored them?
Boy you just can't fix stupid can ya?
Ditto! I frequently text someone first to see if they have time to take a call rather than just ambush them on the spot.
But in the case of the lost hiker,one would think that the phone ringing might indicate to them that perhaps the phone would also be capable of making a call to a loved one to explain the situation and/or ask for some assistance.Definitely in Darwin Award territory here.........
Came across a guy who had been in a bike (bicycle) wreck in a local park with a broken clavicle. I called am ambulance for him, and he also wanted me to call his wife, who, as it turned out, didn't answer my repeated calls. Eventually he suggested to text her with "[His Name] 911", and she called me right back immediately.
I'm going to respectfully disagree with the title of this post. One of the many benefits of hiking for me is to get away from it all. I generally leave my phone in airplane mode and when it's not in airplane mode I certainly try to avoid phone calls about my "last chance to get my car's extended warranty". If I'm lost I might be even more careful to avoid wasting my phone's battery charge and may be even less likely to answer a call from a number I don't know. He left his itinerary with someone he knew right? Didn't that person call or text him before calling for a search and rescue? The news report doesn't answer this question. I agree with others who say search and rescue should have sent a text once their voice call didn't go thru. So I disagree that repeated voice calls with no texts and then trying to gently blame the hiker is the right course of action here. The hiker didn't know anyone was looking for him. He did the right thing leaving his itinerary with someone. I'd be willing to change my mind if we learn additional facts or someone with search and rescue experience wants to chime in here.
AT Flip Flop (HF to ME, HF to GA) Thru Hike 2023; LT End-to-Ender 2017; NH 48/48 2015-2021; 21 of 159usForests.com
I figured it out! They went to Floyd's in Leadville first and got something they couldn't handle....
You win the lottery too? My check is in the mail!With my luck it'd be a Nigerian prince.
There's got to be a story there somewhere.....
" 6 bucks and my left nut says we're not going to be landing in Chicago" Del Griffith
This hiker was lost for a full overnight after leaving trip plans with someone at home. That's a significant amount of time. At that point, I think you'd fully expect search-and-rescue to be looking for you.
If I was desperate for help, a ringing phone would be so so welcome. If I wasn't desperate for help and thought I just needed some time to re-locate the trail, maybe I wouldn't answer the phone. If it was the next day and I was still lost, I'd need to re-assess and develop a new plan on how to stay safe and in good condition and get out.
More local article (not a whole lot more info. though):
https://kdvr.com/news/local/get-an-u...ch-and-rescue/
Facebook post from the search and rescue group:
https://www.facebook.com/LakeCountyC...29214695671604
There was someone expecting the hiker to return by a certain time. Seems like that person tried to reach out by phone, but couldn't reach the hiker. And, the hiker didn't say they missed the calls (i.e. phone turned off or in airplane mode), they apparently didn't answer because of the unknown phone numbers.
"At approximately 2000 on October 18th LCSAR was called out for an overdue hiker on Mount Elbert. The reporting party reported the subject had started hiking Mount Elbert from the South Trailhead at 0900 that morning, and had not returned by 2000 that evening. Multiple attempts to contact the subject via their cell phone were unsuccessful."
One thing not mentioned yet is that altitude might well have been a factor.
I didn't see that the hiker's hometown was mentioned, but someone coming from sea level and hiking up to 14,433' will experience all manner of impairments, mental and physiological.
The Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter ~ Cam "Swami" Honan of OZ
I suspect altitude was the culprit.The FAA requires pilots of non pressurized aircraft above 12,500 feet of cabin altitude for more then 30 minutes to use supplemental oxygen.
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