A Colorado rescue team wasted a lot of time trying to locate the missing climber because the person never answered the secret number calling him.
The inevitable misunderstanding certainly prompted Lake County Search and Rescue (LCSAR) to warn mountaineers.
“Please answer your phone!”
The climber, who was actively sought by several rescue teams, departed at 9am on October 18 and has not yet returned until 8pm, LCSAR explains on its Facebook page.
Emergency services tried to contact him on the phone several times but were unsuccessful.
Five rescue crews searched for him, believing he may have been missing, but stopped search operations at 3 p.m.
At 7 a.m. another team landed in an attempt to find him.
At 9:30 a.m., police were notified that the climber had returned and that he was not wanted.
He would not have answered his phone because it was a secret number.
“If you arrive late on your route and start getting repeated calls from an unknown number, please answer the phone!” Be the team trying to make sure you are safe! LCSAR said.
Mount Elbert, where the outdoor enthusiast venture, is located about 200 miles southwest of Denver and the highest peak in Colorado is 14,433 feet. It is a popular destination for mountaineers and is easy to climb.
The missing climber left the trail at night and walked for several hours to find him. Once back on track, it took him a long time to figure out where his vehicle was parked.
