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Stranded California Man Too 'Embarrassed' To Use Phone
Brian "Goat Man" Hopper, spent five days stranded on Roe Island, north of Concord in Suisun Bay, because he was too embarrassed to phone for help. Hopper lived off vitamins and native plants while trying to repair his inflatable raft. "I was embarrassed to be stranded on an island," Hopper said. "I thought I could fix my boat and make it to land ... I didn't want to spend the taxpayers' money to have the Coast Guard come rescue some stupid guy." After almost a week he finally gave up and called a cousin for help. No word on what makes Hopper the "Goat Man."
From the article:
Reeves said Hopper once lived in a cave in Nevada for three months, had walked through Death Valley and had made a Northern California forest his home for an entire year. "When we found him," Reeves said, "he was naked and fishing in a stream ... He's been living off the land for at least 20 years."
"A little bit embarassed" wouldn't even begin to cover the humiliation of having to be rescued after a few days if I was this dude.
(...) people are far too quick to call for search and rescue.(...)
I could not disagree more.
It takes a long time for SAR ressources to get to your location when you are stranded somewhere, sometimes up to several hours. It's not like when you're in the city and you just dial 911, and you have an ambulance, cops or firefighters at your doorstep in minutes. So when you decide that you've been stranded long enough, that your boat fire is out of control just now, that your plane is going to dive nose first, or that you've been lost so long that you can't remember... well, guess what: you'll have to wait a bit longer, buddy ! .... and good luck btw.
I have had many cases at my SAR-related job of people calling in, not wanting to disturb, a bit shy, and hesitant, reluctant to being rescued.... where it'd be SO f* much easier for us to go save your ass, and done - and done. We get a thrill when we get this chopper - or boat - or volunteer searchers call list - going anyway.
I plead for anyone who ever needs SAR service not to hesitate a minute. Because when you decide that you REALLY REALLY need NOW a rescue... it might be too late.
Unless, you think your life, or the safety of whoever is on a trip with you - family & friend - is not worth a phone call, or that your ego is more important.