High Buck Trip Cut Short

[Rob]

Panic is a real thing and once it gets out of hand it cascades.... 

Very possible he did have a scary bear encounter and then hit the panic button

[Pacific Ghost]

This is just crazy, not something I'd expect on the high hunt. Did the Sheriff show up from the SOS button of the Garmin? I've had an inreach for a few years now and kind of curious of the response you would get using that feature. Good Job handling this situation.

When the SOS feature is activated, the GEOS 24/7 emergency response team receives the message. You have the ability to communicate information(and updates) to them, not just a distress signal. They usually get the message pretty fast, and take whatever info is shared along with the location, and decide the appropriate responders to notify.  It is good to give as much info as you can if possible, because they will most likely notify your emergency contacts about what is going on, and you don't want to give your own loved ones unnecessary anxiety. I'm not sure how fast the sheriff got there, but just the fact that he did at all, since we learned that he came from the opposite extreme far end of the county.

[ctwiggs1]

No trail cam pics dragging a chain around naked I hope ?
Freakin crazies

Thanks, I had forgotten about that pic.  And now it's back

[HikerHunter]

You know what it was? It was that damn sasquatch.

Yes! Actually sounds like it was 5 of them! Must have been a family reunion or something...

[TriggerMike]

Sounds like a panic attack. When you haven't spent much time alone in the woods and the sun starts going down, and you hear a branch snap, a guy could lose it like this and when the panic takes hold you can really snowball if you don't know how to clear your head and calm yourself. He's probably a city guy with little to no mountain experience if I had to guess 

[CaNINE]

Maybe he OD'd on some Mountain Ops...

In all serious though...glad it worked out and no gun play was required.

[Jpmiller]

Sounds like a panic attack. When you haven't spent much time alone in the woods and the sun starts going down, and you hear a branch snap, a guy could lose it like this and when the panic takes hold you can really snowball if you don't know how to clear your head and calm yourself. He's probably a city guy with little to no mountain experience if I had to guess 

I've known some folks who can barely walk down a gravel driveway for fear of bears and cougars. Had a family member who wouldn't buy a house in enumclaw because they were worried about bears (although who could blame not wanting to live in enumclaw). I wouldn't be surprised to find out he was someone either not used to the Backcountry or not used to being alone and nerves just got the best of him and he freaked. Bummer no matter what the reason though, thanks for helping the guy out.

[Pacific Ghost]

What was your elevation?   How was his physical conditioning?  Short of breath?


I wonder if he was suffering from hypoximia, low oxygen can make some intense delusions!

Yes hypoxemia can cause delusions, but this sounds more like either a mental breakdown, possibly a condition he already had and his medication was off; if that was the case he should not have had a firearm, nor been that far from civilization. It does really sound like he had ingested some hallucinogen and was off his rocker from that. Like State farm I have seen a thing or two with people like this. Glad it worked out ok. To the original person that posted this, if you want to talk more about it privately PM me I will listen, it is very traumatic if you have not dealt with this before.

Thanks RB.  I am good, but do understand what you are saying.  I've been through some tense ordeals before, and for whatever reason, I am usually calm and clear thinking throughout.  It is later on in the hours and days to follow, as the events get re-lived and worked through, that I have to take a little extra care in making sure I've addressed any impact the situation might have had on me.

[bigmacc]

I told the story in detail on here in another thread, the talk of panic, darkness and possibly "meds"(prescription or otherwise) can wreak havoc when one is alone in the wilderness. Had a new uncle(he had just married my moms sister) back in the 60,s that got lost way back into some dark corner of the Methow, long story short, single digit temps, hypothermia, frostbite and prescription diet pills led to about a 36 hour ordeal that ended up with him being found walking down a logging road with nothing but his long johns on with frostbite and telling stories of him fighting off aliens from outer space, my dad and a couple others found his rifle a few days later, busted into pieces from hitting a big boulder that was..........yep, the spaceship the aliens were pouring out of, not a shot was fired, he used his rifle like a club.

[ctwiggs1]

Sounds like a panic attack. When you haven't spent much time alone in the woods and the sun starts going down, and you hear a branch snap, a guy could lose it like this and when the panic takes hold you can really snowball if you don't know how to clear your head and calm yourself. He's probably a city guy with little to no mountain experience if I had to guess 

I've known some folks who can barely walk down a gravel driveway for fear of bears and cougars. Had a family member who wouldn't buy a house in enumclaw because they were worried about bears (although who could blame not wanting to live in enumclaw). I wouldn't be surprised to find out he was someone either not used to the Backcountry or not used to being alone and nerves just got the best of him and he freaked. Bummer no matter what the reason though, thanks for helping the guy out.

How is it that of all the posts on this site, this is the one that actually catches my eye?

I don't know how you do it... but nicely done @jpmiller

 

[Rob]

So my biggest takeaway from this was the extreme caution that was used to approach the victim.

Having a guy screaming that he was under attack by a bear and shooing would have me by instinct trying to get to him as soon as possible.  I admire the calm and cautious approach used when coming up on a panicked, armed person.  Very wise call...

[WSU]

No trail cam pics dragging a chain around naked I hope ?
Freakin crazies

Thanks, I had forgotten about that pic.  And now it's back

Sound like I missed something interesting?

[h20hunter]

Oh that...meh...not really....just pm me and I'll text it to yah. Easy peasy.

[elkrack]

Oh that...meh...not really....just pm me and I'll text it to yah. Easy peasy.

I wouldn’t take h2o up on that offer I didn’t see the pick but about lost it when “dude with a chain” was posted😂

[Bango skank]

So my biggest takeaway from this was the extreme caution that was used to approach the victim.

Having a guy screaming that he was under attack by a bear and shooing would have me by instinct trying to get to him as soon as possible.  I admire the calm and cautious approach used when coming up on a panicked, armed person.  Very wise call...

Not under attack by a bear, under attack by 5 bears, in a long lasting standoff.  Obviously something screwy there.  That would tell me right away something is off.  Absolutely not a realistic scenario.  There are crazies out there, one more good arguement for a sidearm over bear spray.  Crazies carrying guns.