Answer it!

We all get them, those consarned phone calls with the snotty voices trying to make you feel bad because they have been TRYING to reach you to discuss your car's warranty or paying off your college loans.

I owe Towson State College a quarter for library fine for failure to return "Meet Richard Nixon" promptly, but gee whiz. It's been half a century. Let it go!

But let's say you decide to hike up Colorado's Mount Elbert.

"You decide to hike up Colorado's Mount Elbert."

All right. Now let's say you had started your trek at 9 AM, and when 8 PM arrived, and you didn't, someone notified Lake County Search and Rescue (LCSAR), and they began calling you on the cell phone you brought with you just in case of an emergency.

“Multiple attempts to contact the subject via their cell phone were unsuccessful,” the LCSAR said in a news release, and after two hours of non-answered calls, five rescue team members went out in the dark to find the unidentified hiker.

This is mountainous terrain - the Rocky Mountains, for crying out loud - and it's far different from a walk in the park. They searched for five hours that night and gave up around 3 AM. 

 

Searchers resumed their operations at 7 AM next morning, going over the places where most hikers have gotten lost, only to find out at 9:30 that the intrepid traveler was back unscathed and unharmed. Also unintelligent, because... 

...They did not answer the numerous calls from the LCSAR because they "did not recognize the number that was calling."

“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," officials reported. “They had no idea that SAR was out looking for them.”

The team asks for a little sympathy for the hiker, because "common sense in hindsight is not often obvious to someone alone, lost and panicking."

They add this for future climbers:  “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!”

I will add:  When in danger or in doubt, answer the phone. See what it's about. Even the people trying to sell you more life insurance might be able to get you help!