And for this reason, I am not sure I can blame the hiker. I mean I got my first spam call on the way home from the phone store after getting my new phone and new number!
Apparently, the hiker was not that worried. He had not fallen. He was not injured. Massasauga didn't try to eat him. Nor was he attacked by Bigfoot or Snagglepuss. The report says he was on a trail so he may not have felt he was truly "lost" - he just didn't know where he was. I've done that many times. I didn't know where I was, but I knew how I got there so I could backtrack if necessary, or just keep going and eventually hit a familiar landmark.
Since he had some designated place he was staying for the night, why didn't they call him from their business phone? Or a Park Ranger from his or her official phone? Were there no friends and family who could have called? Why didn't 911 call him? It seems to me, even a text message might have worked here and saved some grief here.
Yeah, hindsight clearly shows he should have answered - especially after his expected return time had passed. I am just saying I understand why he didn't.
I think the lesson goes both ways here. Hikers need to answer their phones if they have not checked back in when expected (assuming they filed a flight-plan before setting out). But I think search & recue teams should have designated phones with appropriate caller-ID information too.
