'Please Answer The Phone': Lost Colorado Hiker Ignores Crucial Rescue Calls

In an unusual twist, a man hiking in Colorado found himself disoriented on a mountain trail, and inadvertently bypassed calls from his would-be rescuers. The reason? The incoming call's number was unfamiliar.

The search parties attempting to make contact faced repeated call rejections from the lost wanderer, reports The Guardian. Venturing out without adequate preparation, the hiker soon found himself in a predicament.

According to a statement from Lake County Search and Rescue, as night approached, his situation grew increasingly perilous. Ironically, the very help he needed was trying to establish contact via phone, but he unknowingly dismissed their efforts.

According to the county rescue team, the man reported having “no idea” anyone was out looking for him.

"One notable take-away is that the subject ignored repeated phone calls from us because they didn’t recognize the number," the statement read.

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“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 search and rescue team trying to confirm you’re safe,” the statement said. 

“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,” Lake County Search and Rescue wrote in a Facebook post.

The incident drives home the importance of proper preparation when heading outdoors. Essential steps include keeping your phone charged, informing someone of your whereabouts, and planning a clear route.

It also sheds light on a current societal issue: the reluctance to respond to unfamiliar phone numbers due to increasing spam calls. Most people usually avoid such calls, but in this scenario, answering could have expedited his rescue.

The hiker was eventually found unharmed, yet this incident serves as a peculiar lesson about the challenges of our connected, yet distrustful, digital age.

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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo: Generated with Midjourney