Hiker ignores calls from SAR

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mtree
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Re: Hiker ignores calls from SAR

Post by mtree »

Text message won't arrive until you're in "range" so hiker may have never seen them until later.
I pack my phone inside my jacket or side pocket of my shorts. I don't take it out except for photo ops... which is rare. Sometimes its even in airplane mode so I wouldn't get calls or messages. And I won't answer unknown calls regardless. So unless the hiker THOUGHT SAR might be calling he'd probably avoid the call. That's what I would do.

Kinda silly story if you thing about it. Its just a reflection of the times we live in.
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Re: Hiker ignores calls from SAR

Post by timisimaginary »

if i was out on an unplanned overnighter, i would think (or at least hope) that SAR would be looking for me. if i did the right thing ahead of time and told somebody where i was going and what time i was expecting to be back, i would certainly expect SAR to be looking for me. i'd probably take the opportunity to check my phone once or twice in such a situation.
"The decay and disintegration of this culture is astonishingly amusing if you're emotionally detached from it." - George Carlin
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mtree
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Re: Hiker ignores calls from SAR

Post by mtree »

timisimaginary wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 1:52 pm if i was out on an unplanned overnighter, i would think (or at least hope) that SAR would be looking for me. if i did the right thing ahead of time and told somebody where i was going and what time i was expecting to be back, i would certainly expect SAR to be looking for me. i'd probably take the opportunity to check my phone once or twice in such a situation.
Good for you!
From the original story, no indication the hiker told anybody, left info, or was even worried about it. No indication he even tried to contact someone. Maybe he just wanted to be left alone. Everyone's different.
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Re: Hiker ignores calls from SAR

Post by curt86iroc »

mtree wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 2:26 pm
timisimaginary wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 1:52 pm if i was out on an unplanned overnighter, i would think (or at least hope) that SAR would be looking for me. if i did the right thing ahead of time and told somebody where i was going and what time i was expecting to be back, i would certainly expect SAR to be looking for me. i'd probably take the opportunity to check my phone once or twice in such a situation.
Good for you!
From the original story, no indication the hiker told anybody, left info, or was even worried about it. No indication he even tried to contact someone. Maybe he just wanted to be left alone. Everyone's different.
that's not how it works. if a 3rd party (husband/wife/partner/child/employer/etc.) reports a hiker/climber/whomever as overdue, SAR will (in the majority of instances) start to respond. look at it from our point of view. we have NO IDEA if this person "just wants to be left alone" or is injured/lost. in this instance, someone did indeed report him as overdue. The system worked as designed.

if the person really wanted to be left alone, they should have told someone "i may not be back all night so don't worry about me." If no one reported them as overdue, none of this would have happened. THIS is the reason you should always tell someone your plans, even if your plan is to "leave me alone."
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mtree
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Re: Hiker ignores calls from SAR

Post by mtree »

curt86iroc wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 2:35 pm
that's not how it works. if a 3rd party (husband/wife/partner/child/employer/etc.) reports a hiker/climber/whomever as overdue, SAR will (in the majority of instances) start to respond. look at it from our point of view. we have NO IDEA if this person "just wants to be left alone" or is injured/lost. in this instance, someone did indeed report him as overdue. The system worked as designed.

if the person really wanted to be left alone, they should have told someone "i may not be back all night so don't worry about me." If no one reported them as overdue, none of this would have happened. THIS is the reason you should always tell someone your plans, even if your plan is to "leave me alone."
I missed the memo on how it works. Maybe the hiker did, too.
Weird how these plans go astray when no one pays attention or follows the rules!
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Re: Hiker ignores calls from SAR

Post by FireOnTheMountain »

I find it hilarious that some people here are chalking this up to, well that could have been me too cause I HATE ANSWERING PHONE CALLS I DON'T KNOW TOO!!

Well, you all are as dumb as this person was. Fact is they were lost, super overdue and kept getting phone calls from the same number and area code (presumably CO). Throw texts on top of that too apparently.
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mtree
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Re: Hiker ignores calls from SAR

Post by mtree »

I guess that dumb hiker didn't check with the smart n savvy folks on 14ers.com before heading out. IDIOT!!!
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Re: Hiker ignores calls from SAR

Post by HikerGuy »

mtree wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 2:50 pm
curt86iroc wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 2:35 pm
that's not how it works. if a 3rd party (husband/wife/partner/child/employer/etc.) reports a hiker/climber/whomever as overdue, SAR will (in the majority of instances) start to respond. look at it from our point of view. we have NO IDEA if this person "just wants to be left alone" or is injured/lost. in this instance, someone did indeed report him as overdue. The system worked as designed.

if the person really wanted to be left alone, they should have told someone "i may not be back all night so don't worry about me." If no one reported them as overdue, none of this would have happened. THIS is the reason you should always tell someone your plans, even if your plan is to "leave me alone."
I missed the memo on how it works. Maybe the hiker did, too.
Weird how these plans go astray when no one pays attention or follows the rules!
Lake County SAR actually pointed out that the subject may not have been familiar with how SAR works in Colorado and that may have contributed to his reluctance to answer. Maybe he thought he'd be on the hook for a rescue bill and therefore ignored them. This is a good opportunity for SAR to communicate how SAR works in Colorado and if you get repeated calls/texts and check your phone, please respond.
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Re: Hiker ignores calls from SAR

Post by timisimaginary »

mtree wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 2:26 pm
timisimaginary wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 1:52 pm if i was out on an unplanned overnighter, i would think (or at least hope) that SAR would be looking for me. if i did the right thing ahead of time and told somebody where i was going and what time i was expecting to be back, i would certainly expect SAR to be looking for me. i'd probably take the opportunity to check my phone once or twice in such a situation.
Good for you!
From the original story, no indication the hiker told anybody, left info, or was even worried about it. No indication he even tried to contact someone. Maybe he just wanted to be left alone. Everyone's different.
i guess the person who called and reported him overdue was just psychic and somehow magically knew that he was on Elbert that night. too bad their psychic powers didn't extend to knowing he'd make it out on his own the next day.
"The decay and disintegration of this culture is astonishingly amusing if you're emotionally detached from it." - George Carlin
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Re: Hiker ignores calls from SAR

Post by timisimaginary »

mtree wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 3:03 pm I guess that dumb hiker didn't check with the smart n savvy folks on 14ers.com before heading out. IDIOT!!!
or maybe he did check and just listened to the wrong person instead. "hey, every reputable organization says to let someone know your itinerary before heading out in the backcountry, but i'll just listen to mtree instead because i want to be left alone (but not left alone badly enough to turn off my cell phone while i'm hiking).
and hey, let's not bother worrying about the SAR people who are, at best, inconvenienced, and at worst putting their lives at risk because of my brilliant choices."
"The decay and disintegration of this culture is astonishingly amusing if you're emotionally detached from it." - George Carlin
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Re: Hiker ignores calls from SAR

Post by CaptainSuburbia »

I saw that this made national news.
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Re: Hiker ignores calls from SAR

Post by madbuck »

CaptainSuburbia wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 10:45 am I saw that this made national news.
The "Ellen Show" called to get him on a segment, but ...
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