Rescuers offer hikers a tip when they are overdue

A Colorado search and rescue team is urging people who are late in returning from the outdoors to answer their phones if they get repeated calls from an unknown number after the team spent hours looking for a hiker who never knew they were the subject of a search.

According to the Lake County team, it made multiple unsuccessful attempts to reach a person reported overdue from a hike on Mount Elbert on Oct. 18 on their cellphone, leading rescuers to initiate a search that night.

Not long after rescuers resumed their search about daybreak the following day, the overdue hiker, who was not identified, was able to find their own way off the mountain.

The team said one takeaway was that the “subject ignored repeated phone calls from us because they didn’t recognize the number.” However, in response to questions, one team member said it was not known whether the hiker had the phone’s ringer and notifications turned off. The hiker was also sent texts.

Staff and wire reports