Lost Hiker Ignores Rescuers' Calls Because It Was Unknown Number

LAKE COUNTY, CO — A missing hiker in Colorado thought rescuers' phone calls were spam and ignored them, officials said.

A Lake County Search and Rescue team was called Oct. 18 to find a missing hiker on Mount Elbert, rescuers said. The hiker had not returned by the evening and didn't know the team was searching for them.

"Multiple attempts to contact the subject via their cell phone were unsuccessful," the search and rescue agency said in a Facebook post.

The team searched overnight, and then a smaller crew began searching in a new area the next morning, rescuers said.

"One notable take-away is that the subject ignored repeated phone calls from us because they didn’t recognize the number," the rescuers' post read.

"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!"

Several hours later, the crew was told the hiker had returned to the place where they were staying, and was safe. The hiker said they'd lost the trail around nightfall and spent the night trying to find the trailhead.

Rescuers also reminded hikers in Colorado that fresh snow obscures trails above the treeline.

"Please don’t count on following your ascent tracks to descend the mountain, as wind will often cover your tracks."

Some hikers who get lost begin to panic and can't think clearly, the rescue team said.

"Please remember that what seems like common sense in hindsight is not obvious to a subject in the moment," the rescuers said in a follow-up post.