Hiker Stays Lost in Woods Overnight After Dodging Rescuer Phone Calls for a Very Darwin Reason

A Colorado hiker was lost in the woods for hours as search parties tried all night to locate them on foot and by phone. But their calls went repeatedly unanswered by the hiker — who declined them because it was an unknown number.

The lone hiker was walking the trails of Mount Elbert in Lake County and apparently wandered a bit too far from the markers last week, as Lake County Search and Rescue explained on Facebook.

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.

The reason they were unsuccessful could have made this hiker a Darwin Award nominee had things not worked out. Watch the report from Fox 31 in Denver.

The Search and Rescue emphasized how important it is to not do that.

The subject stated they’d lost the trail around nightfall and spent the night searching for the trail, and once on the trail, bounced around onto different trails trying to locate the proper trailhead, finally reaching their car the next morning, approximately 24 hours after they’d started their hike. They had no idea that SAR was out looking for them.

One notable take-away is that the subject ignored repeated phone calls from us because they didn’t recognize the number. 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 SAR team trying to confirm you’re safe!

What’s the worst that can happen if you answer the call? You might get rescued AND get an extended warranty!!