A hiker lost on a Colorado mountain ignored calls from rescuers because they were unfamiliar with the number, authorities explained.
The individual was reported missing once they did not come back from an expedition last week on Mount Elbert, Lake County Search and Rescue (LCSAR) said, the New York Post reported Monday.
Crews canvassed the area the next day but were unable to locate the hiker, officials noted.
The team tried to contact the hiker via a phone call but could not reach the person, and “The hiker had apparently wandered off the trail and spent the night looking for it,” the Post report said.
Following 24 hours of being lost, the person found their way out and eventually made it to their vehicle, officials stated.
“They had no idea that SAR was out looking for them,” the LCSAR group said in a Facebook post on Thursday:
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! Finally, to Mount Elbert hikers, please remember that the trail is obscured by snow above treeline, and will be in that condition now through probably late June. Please don’t count on following your ascent tracks to descend the mountain, as wind will often cover your tracks.
According to its website, LCSAR is a volunteer team that provides emergency search, rescue, and recovery services for people lost, missing, or impaired in the rugged backcountry of Leadville, Colorado.
“We are passionate skiers, snowboarders, hikers, rafters, runners, bikers, guides, and explorers. We are also paramedics, EMTs, mechanics, police officers, librarians, writers, engineers, and utility providers,” the site read. “Our love for the outdoors extends to helping other backcountry adventurers.”