In an increasingly digitally connected world, it’s a dream to unplug from the distractions and escape into the wilderness. It comes with a warning though — some dreams end in nightmares, where the pursuit of a positive experience ends up playing out the greatest fears.
A man went missing between Surprise Lake and Upper Cataract Lake in Colorado and his crew called 911 after he didn’t return back to the camp late at night.
Flight for Life made a quick scouting mission but wasn’t able to find the man. They loaded up a hiker and called for a Blackhawk helicopter filled with seven other hiking search and rescue members from Summit Rescue Group, as well as sending a few crew members on the trail to search for the lost man.
According to the rescue team, the hunters were off trail in swampy dense foliage, resulting in a lengthy search. Fortunately, the Blackhawk pilot located someone they believed could be the missing man.
“He radioed that they had a subject that partially matched the description but not completely only because his backpack was upside down so it was the wrong color,” explained Summit County Rescue Group’s Anna Debattiste.
“The real key here is he went like this,” Debattiste said, waving slowly and casually.
“The pilot said, ‘He’s saying hi, he doesn’t seem to be in distress,’ so they left,” she said. The lost man may have been embracing his new life in the wilderness. After all, people can be more of a nuisance than starving wildlife.
Shortly afterwards, the ground crews were able to track down the man again. The man soon learned that a light wave like the royals isn’t sufficient. He should be waving in panic with dramatically extending motions if he wants assistance. “What he actually should have done was something like this,” Debattiste said, waving aggressively with both arms over her head, back and forth, over and over again. “Or waving a brightly colored piece of clothing, something to say ‘Hey!! I’m the guy you’re looking for!'”
The man was cold and dehydrated but had no life-threatening concerns. A blanket and a few glasses of water should be enough to get him back on his feet for more adventures.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/man-lost-colorado-wilderness-rescue-helicopter/