Garbage leads rescuers to missing B.C. hiker in Golden Ears park

Wow, how many "What not to do" elements can there be in one story?

This one surely takes the prize.

On the other hand, he must have done some things right to have survived for 7-8 days in the winter. :)

He remained in the emergency shelter, which I'm assuming is a 4-sided structure with good protection from wind and snow. So no food (or was there a cache in the shelter?), but water and shelter. Big factors, no doubt.

Quite often it seems there is no follow-up to these reports with details as to how the whole situation developed and what incorrect decisions/choices were made that led to a life-threatening emergency.

There are several common themes with all these reports, however.

Ok, I missed that there was water.

"Quite often it seems there is no follow-up to these reports with details as to how the whole situation developed and what incorrect decisions/choices were made that led to a life-threatening emergency."

Exactly, and the media being content with dramatic but misinformed statements like "survived for a week without food" as if it were some superhuman feat and as if food was the number one priority.

His biggest failure was not letting someone know where he was going.

I tell my wife where I going when I walk the dog. It's not That hard.
Or buy And Carry a PLB.

Even worse, he told them one place and then went to another!

Lucky he left garbage in his wake. Hmmmm….

My wife and I used to go Halfdome every year before the quota system. We would start out very early to beat the crowd, and there is one section above Vernal Fall that I always get confused in the dark (I am terrible with direction lol). I can count on finding small pieces of garbage to be sure that we were on the trail. We pick them up with thankful heart =)