Rescue Helicopter Leaves Behind Waving Man Who Was Lost in Colo. Wilderness: 'He's Saying Hi,' Pilot Thought
Mar. 15, 2025A helicopter rescue team left behind a stranded hiker last week after they confused his hand waves for a greeting.
After an initial aerial search team did not locate the man, another crew was sent into the area with a Blackhawk helicopter — and that’s when they spotted someone the pilot thought could be the missing hiker.
Debattiste told the news station that the team didn’t initially believe the man was in trouble because he appeared to wave to them casually instead of raising both of his hands in the air.
“The pilot said, ‘He’s saying hi, he doesn’t seem to be in distress,’ so they left,” Debattiste said.
According to survival expertJames Mandeville, raising both hands over one’s head is recognized internationally as a call for help. But, conversely, raising one hand in the air with the other pointed to the ground is a way to signal support is not needed, Mandeville explained on his website.
The Summit County Rescue Group hopes that “one lesson to be learned from this incident is how to signal a helicopter.”
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“An effective way to signal a helicopter is with big gestures such as waving both arms vigorously over one’s head, or waving a bright-colored piece of clothing,” the group added.
source: people.com
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