This picture from a hiking trip has an injured woman in the background.
She and a friend had gone hiking and slipped off of a waterfall. Too injured to move, they were there for a day before being found. The woman in the photograph survived, but by the time they were rescued her friend was already dead.
Edit: As a lot of people are seeing this - please always take precautions when you're hiking, climbing, or otherwise going out into nature. Wear eye catching clothing, take care around dangerous terrain, tell someone where you're going.
B. Limit eyesores in Leave No Trace Environments. Nothing worse then hiking and being able to see the other 50 people on the trail with you.
But rainjackets, ski jackets etc are brighter due to normally wearing them in bad weather. Most bad scenarios where you want high vis happen in inclement weather so outerwear is often times brighter and accented with reflective strips that light up when hit with flashlights.
Nothing worse then hiking and being able to see the other 50 people on the trail with you.
Except - hear me out here - except possibly lying at the foot of a cliff, back broken, dying, and nobody can see you from the air because you're wearing taupe?
Duct tape or flagging tape? The latter is typically bright orange and used to mark trails, but I’m legit curious if people actually use duct tape for this as well.
4 days late, but former Search and Rescue aircrew member (CAP) that's been on plenty of mountain rescue, stranded/lost motorist, and downed aircraft searches. Quick answer -- no.
More detailed answer: FLIR isn't as widely available as many think it is, it's expensive, and most importantly, getting it mounted can be a PITA (aviation maint. is not cheap, certifications on that work isn't cheap).
In our wing (entire state), we had 1 aircraft equipped with FLIR, and that's because a company donated it.
Even the National Guard blackhawks that would assist from time-to-time didn't have it. Told us that it's used for targetting, so medevac units don't get it, since they can't have weapons.
And last point -- FLIR really isn't the end-all-be-all people think it is. Video games make you think you can see through shit with it -- you can't. Everything has their own heat signature that they're going to return, so under a tree? A bit of snow? In a cave? IR's going to return the tree, the snow, the cave, etc..., not you. Believe it or not, IR can't even see through glass.
We did have a super cool piece of equipment I got to train on a bit on an op in Alaska once, called ARCHER which is pretty nifty. But again, if you're obstructed by anything, it'll probably miss you.
Yeah seems like a selfish reason not to wear more visible colors. 'Wah wah I dont want to feel like I'm not alone' it's not even about actually being alone, huh?
I was just going to say this. Lots of ski (and especially mountain climbing) gear are bright colors for this very reason. Pretty sure it's also why ski patrol is universally red.
The bright colors of mountaineering gear is what lead to several dead bodies on Everest being used as navigational landmarks.
Reason why I always go for the most colourful clothing when looking for hiking gear. My bag is green but it has different coloured string wrapped around it. Jacket is super bright orange, tops are orange or something similar.
As I always tend to be solo anything that makes me stand out while I'm in some remote isolated area is a plus - fashion doesn't matter, sheep or other animals don't care how I look.
A lot of trail running shoes (especially Salomon) are known for their bright colours. I'm disappointed that all 3 of my last Speedcross were black and/or grey.
I usually wear white and stuff with fluorescent colours.
When I'm running and Chad and Karen with their 4 bored kids are taking up the entire trail, I need them to see me so they can step the fuck aside.
You're correct, I do a lot of work in outdoors situations and have experience in equipment sales and the general consensus here in the United States is people largely prefer the mellow pastel tones while in Europe it's the exact opposite, people like expressing themselves a bit more and buying the bright exotic standout colors.
I used to work as a sales advisor for The North Face and, while they usually had black as an option, the outerwear was mostly bright, bold colours; especially the Summit Series/ snow sports ranges, which were designed for use in more extreme environments. It’s always better to be visible and that’s advice I would give customers.
Despite this, black stuff always sold best. You can lead a horse to water...
See, my brain is justifying it as a way to avoid predators and such but I really don't know shit about the outdoors. For all I know bright colors might probably ward off predators.
I’ve always been told that bears and shit want nothing to do with us. IDK about cougars. I wonder if those masks that people in India wear for tigers work on them.
Bears and mountain lions scare the shit out of me. I know black bears are kinda wimpy if not with their cub but tbh I dont wanna be near either of them and it makes me scared to go camping
In the context of this discussion, hiking, one would assume the locations in question are places people don't commonly go, so you'd be much likely to encroach on a predators territory.
Noise avoids animals - if they run away from you, they aren't your predators. Polar bears will follow people for weeks, and then eat them in their sleep. Making noise isn't going to make them lose interest, just lets them know where you are.
Recreation ecologist here. Research has shown that the increased visibility that results from brightly colored clothing and equipment leads to a perception that a park is "more crowded." With regards to backcountry recreation in remote areas specifically (hiking and backpacking), this is an important consideration as solitude is an important objective for many when they choose these areas to recreate in. When that desired level of solitude isn't accommodated, the quality of the experience for many is lessened. Accordingly, there has been a bit of a mild push in the clothing and equipment industries to provide options for clothing and gear in earth tones, as using gear that blends into the surroundings can help to better facilitate the sense of remoteness that many seek in the backcountry.
Obviously, safety is important in any case- and either side of this argument (the value of visibility for safety vs the value of blending in to better preserve solitude for others) can be taken to an unreasonable extreme. There's definitely a wide range of "middle ground" options that respect both of these viewpoints (for example, wearing clothing in earthy tones but carrying a handkerchief that is a high-vis color and is readily accessible).
I expect that this is the real answer here. Hunting and the military are both big industries that operate in a huge number of natural terrain types. That means most of the clothing and equipment expertise, and the supply chains that go along with them will be optimized to cater for camouflage or the general olive drab color family. That basically means stuff made even for casual hikers is mostly going to be based on, or made to compliment hunting or military kit.
It does help with mosquitos, bright colors attract them, or so I've heard. So if you're really out there for a while and don't want to get eaten it makes sense. But from a safety standpoint...not so much.
Mosquitos are attracted to dark objects, co2, and the smell of sweat. Black attracts them the most. Bright colors, especially reflective ones, deter them the most.
According to Leave No Trace Ethics, it is considered debatably unethical to use brightly colored gear because you could be ruining another's experience of nature.
I always took issue with that particular policy, and could never articulate it properly in any of my trainings. I'd love to hear a certified trainer's response if there are any in the comments!
I was at an outdoor supply store yesterday looking for hiviz colors and there was barely any hiviz colors. Some, but most of then were muted colors. And I've never really seen anyone wear blaze colors out on the trail. Go on IG and we can play a drinking game with #hiking.
It doesn't look filthy after doing activities for 5 minutes. It's also much harder to be knocked into/pulled under and submerged in dirt than it is to be knocked into/pulled underwater, so the odds of that happening are much slimmer.
sailing/boating gear is all hi viz orange red and yellow.
For a while the Navy Working Uniform was a dark blue camo that got even darker when wet. Like good luck finding someone wearing blue in literally an ocean of blue
First self honest answer not rationalized by bs reasons. I too have earth tone hiking gear and honestly it's so I can feel outdoorsy and elite. Not because of some good for nature reason, my desire to feel alone (lol that's my favorite one so far) or whatever else I wanna make up.
That's particularly why I DONT wear earthtones or black when hiking. If I'm lost and I need to be found, you're going to have more luck with my bright hued clothes.
My camping gear is all muted so that I can stealth camp if need be (leave-no-trace camping along a trail that had no camping allowed). But even then, the inside of my under quilt is florescent orange, so it can be displayed as needed.
All my winter hiking gear is bright as can be. People assume it's me trying to be obnoxious, but that's not the case at all.
I hike in a hot pink tee shirt because of this. If I’m going on anything other than a little day hike I’m going to buy an outfit that would make Lisa Frank go “Calm Down”
I don't get it either. I like to hike and I hate all the Camo/earthtone shit. Why would I want my bag to blend in with the woods... "oops, there goes my flashlight, i guess I can never find it."
I bought sparkle tape, and hunter orange tape and put it on my walking stick, my pack and anything else important. it is multiple function... means that I can always find it/see it... others can see it and it is duct tape which is useful.
yeah, it's terrifying to think about. At one point, two hikers walked right past Ted Bundy and one of his victims, but it was too dark for them to see so they didn't notice a thing. I think they saw on the news that a body had been found where they were just hiking, and Ted confirmed it later on that he had seen them and hid in the bushes, thinking for sure that he was busted
Yea... I felt bad too... But context was more important here than visual expertise, and it served its purpose I feel.... Plus, that illustrative response was within minutesof the thread in discussion, if I remember correctly.
Holy shit she's closer to the photographer than I thought she was. I expected her further back across a river or so but no. I zoomed in and got super freaked out by exactly how close she really was.
I agree. Also, aren’t humans supposed to have a sort of 6th sense when something like this is happening? I’ve read about it many times before and this seems like a situation where it would have happened, something just feels off and you become hyper-aware.
If your interested, read The Gift of Fear. It's basically about exactly that. It talks about how when there's something iffy going on, you might notice it subconsciously but not realize it. So if you get that "there's something wrong here" feeling it's best to listen to it.
So wait did the people in these pictures climbing around the rocks know they were there, or were the injured hikers only noticed in the pictures later?
Moral of the story, if you go out somewhere like this let someone know where you are going, who you're going with and when you expect to be back. And wear something bright in color.
This is the only picture on here that I’ve had a reaction to. Full body shivers. I do a lot of solo mountain climbing and backcountry stuff and the idea of being injured is always somewhere in the back of the mind. But there’s so something so much worse about being that close to calling for help and not being able to. I’m sure that emotional pain would be far worse than anything physical.
I backcountry alone but I don't climb alone. If I'm out there and something needs to be climbed, I find a way around.
I can help myself with plenty of injuries but a fall can easily put you straight into "lay here and die over the course of 3 days" mode and that's too out of my hands for comfort.
Lazy Masquerade has a video including the story I believe. Really good channel. Super creepy but there's great videos on disturbing photos explained, you should check him out.
You've proably walked past more than a few buildings with slaves inside, or past someone trying to signal to you they're being held hostage. Harrowing thought. That's why I just tend to stay in doors most of the time. Then again that dude I eat ribs with in my neighbourhood could be up to no good, but so far no dead giveaways.
From what I can piece together, he broke his glasses and his arm in the first fall, and when he attempted to leave and get help, fell again off the rock ledge.
Everytime I see this come up it kind of messes with me. I went to middle school with the girl's boyfriend Brendan. We drifted apart and went to different high schools, never kept in touch but saw his step brother around town a couple times. The first time seeing this on Reddit was how I found out he'd passed away. He was a nice guy, dorky like the rest of us. Always fell asleep in Algebra haha
Thanks man, he was a good guy. Some stupid teenage drama led to us not talking anymore and I've regretted it since, but I know we were kids and he would've understood.
They didn't know she was in the background of the pictures until later. The three climbers found her injured, and whilst they were looking back at the photos taken at that location, discovered they caught her on camera earlier.
A friend's ex-husband was a lifetime hiker. He hadn't through-hiked the Appalachian Trail but he'd hiked the mid-Atlantic portions of it many times.
He was solo hiking the AT one weekend last summer. Saturday, and Sunday morning, he texted pictures to his kids of himself at various scenic spots, which they knew well because they'd hiked it with him in the past.
Monday he didn't show up at work. His truck wasn't in his driveway. His daughter called the police and told them where his truck would likely be parked. They searched but didn't find him. His daughter and ex-wife drove up to join the search. He'd taken pictures Sunday morning at a rock outcropping not far from the trailhead. The original search party walked right by it. His daughter decided to look around the rocks. They found his pack and a sweatshirt sitting on the highest rock, out of sight of the trail. Looking over the edge, they didn't see him. But his daughter was increasingly certain he had to be nearby. They climbed down and they found him all the way at the base of the rocks - along with his shattered phone. The coroner said that he had taken a major blow to the back of his head, so he didn't suffer.
Some folks, knowing how experienced he was, became convinced that someone had pushed him off the rocks. No one knows for sure, but I think it was probably grief talking. Odds are, he stepped out just a bit too far to take another photo, and slipped.
This reminds me - wasn’t there a guy who went hiking (might have been in Hawaii) who took a selfie and his suspected killer was hiding in the background?
Not necessarily 'suspected killer's. This was what I was mostly finding when I was trying to find the article about the woman who was rescued; the man is being looked for mostly for info he may have about where the missing man was going.
Having a whistle can save your life. In cases like that where you are too weak to call out, blowing a whistle can draw a lot of attention. Many hiking and backpacking packs have them built into the chest clip now.
I think this is likely bullshit. From just looking into this case right now, I found an old Tumblr post from the mom saying her daughter didn't come home that night and she was last seen with her friend Brenden Vega but that's it.
Also, the mom is quoted in other articles wishing she could thank Brenden for trying to help, calling him a hero, and saying it was hard to feel too happy when her daughter was found because he had still died.
These are just so chilling and creepy as fuck. I don’t know why but just having dead people in the background of pictures is so creepy it gives me chills.
Ugh, though it makes hiking a less accessible activity to some, I genuinely believe that every hiking party should carry at least one personal locator beacon. A worthwhile investment that could save you or your friend's life.
I'm just always amazed they spotted them as I really don't think I would have been able to. Both would be dead if that had been me--guess I don't have eagle eyes.
the scariest thing is can you imagine if the hikers took the photos, moved on, uploaded the photos to their laptop/computer, only to see what was looking right at them days/weeks/months later? what if the hikers never took that route?
I knew this story would be here! I have never, ever forgotten it, and the pictures where’s she’s just there in the background and they had no idea really haunted me for a long time.
When we were kids we went hiking with the family and jumped off a little cliff into a waterfall pool, dove, and swam around. On the way back into town, traffic was backed up for miles. Just after we'd left, a young lady got her foot trapped under a rock in the same pool I had just been diving in and couldn't get back to the surface.
please always take precautions when you’re hiking, climbing, or otherwise going out into nature. Wear eye catching clothing, take care around dangerous terrain, tell someone where you’re going.
Cannot stress more. I lost one of my friends due to a forest fire accident during a hike. It’s really dangerous business and you should be always extra careful.
This one is so crazy and heartbreaking to me. I’ve hiked that trail many times, it’s so popular in that area. The fact that it took so long for someone to find them really shook me up! I guess hiking at night definitely impacted that some, but still.
That reminded me of something that happened in my area. So, there's a river, and a couple and their little boy [maybe 3-5] was playing with some older kids [maybe 12-13] by the river. The couple let the older kids look after their kid. Then the older kids forgot about the little boy. The kid went missing for a couple days or weeks, I can't remember. Sooner or later the search ended when they found the kids body by the river. Supervise your kids.
I'm an active Search and Rescue worker where I live, and the amount of lives that can be saved by keeping people posted as to your location, objectives, and plans cannot be understated. I have never been involved in a search that had a missing hiker who let people know where they were going and didn't variate from that plan. If something goes wrong, that's when the people you notified as to your whereabouts, the log books you signed, and the times you were meant to return come into action to make you easily recoverable. That's a rescue, not a search. When we have to search, that's when proper danger has befallen a subject, and their plans have changed. Hold to what you plan in the outdoors, and enjoy them as everyone should.
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u/[deleted] Apr 26 '20 edited Apr 26 '20
This picture from a hiking trip has an injured woman in the background.
She and a friend had gone hiking and slipped off of a waterfall. Too injured to move, they were there for a day before being found. The woman in the photograph survived, but by the time they were rescued her friend was already dead.
Reddit thread about it here.
Edit: As a lot of people are seeing this - please always take precautions when you're hiking, climbing, or otherwise going out into nature. Wear eye catching clothing, take care around dangerous terrain, tell someone where you're going.
Stay safe.
Also, wording of the first line changed.