Hiker waiting for Rescue on AT in Smokies

[SavageLlama]

Be careful when you got out for that winter hike.. or you may end up like this numbnut.


Hiker stuck in Smokies awaits rescue
December 22, 2004
Associated Press Newswires

COSBY, Tenn. (AP) - Rescuers were attempting on Wednesday to reach a hiker who collapsed along the snow-covered Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

David Dinwiddie, 62, of Knoxville, called 911 on his cell phone on Tuesday.

Park officials believe he may have frostbite on both hands and has suffered from hypothermia. He spent Tuesday night in subfreezing temperatures and two feet of snow on the 5,000-foot-high section of the trail.

The park was sending a crew with a litter to carry him out, and they were prepared to spend the night with him on the trail if necessary.

Officials were not sure of Dinwiddie's exact location when he called 911, and the signal was too weak to determine his exact problem.

Later they learned his location from three hikers who saw him.

Rescue aircraft could not fly Wednesday morning because of high winds.

Park officials said Dinwiddie is an experienced winter backpacker.

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[The Solemates]

I think the name says it all....Dinwiddie.

[Lone Wolf]

He may have ******ed up but he's still a human being with a family. I hope he's okay. Hold criticism till you hear the whole story.

[wacocelt]

I agree with L.Wolf, the old guy might have had any number of natural illness' injuries which caused him to need rescue.

[MisterSweetie]

The article says he is an "experienced winter backpacker".. so what did he really do wrong here? Maybe he "collapsed" because of a stroke or something! The article gives no indication that his problem was due to stupidity or lack of preparedness. So why is he a "numbnut" aside from the real and likely possibility that his nuts were in fact numb from the cold?

[c.coyle]

I think the name says it all....Dinwiddie.

Do you, now? He collapsed, therefore he must be weak and/or stupid.

[Percival]

So why is he a "numbnut" aside from the real and likely possibility that his nuts were in fact numb from the cold?

Hmmm ... Being numb is not the same a being dumb. But if he was dumb in the cold, his nuts would be numb. He could be both dumb and numb.

[Lion King]

Could happen to anyone at anytime.

Sometimes when sh$t happens you arent aware of it till its too late...maybe this happend to him.

There are plenty of stories of very experianced people who die...things change, experiance teaches us what we know up until the time when something we havent experianced raises its head, and we can only hope that when it does, something in us is powerful enough to make the right choices that keep us alive.

Even if he made a stupid mistake, its a shame. and degrading someone for knowing only partial facts is humiliating to the situation and the concern of anyone involved.

[The Solemates]

Sorry for the above comment. I agree with everyone who has put me in my place.

[Percival]

Sorry for the above comment. I agree with everyone who has put me in my place.

I agree with your original assessment. Dimwittie probably is a dumbass who got exhausted postholing in the deep snow when he should have known better, then collapsed and froze his nuts off. A Darwin Award candidate.

[Percival]

The park was sending a crew with a litter to carry him out, and they were prepared to spend the night with him on the trail if necessary.

This really pains me. We shouldn't be sending park service employees to hike up to 5,000 feet and carry some numbnut out on a guerney in 4 foot snowdrifts. Nature's job is to weed out fools like that.

[Lone Wolf]

You're a friggin idiot Percy.

[Puck]

I think I will reserve judgement untill some facts and details are revealed.

It is important to analyze these incidents for educational purposes. Was he prepared physicaly and mentaly. Was there a lapse of judgement? Or did ***** just happen.

[Lilred]

This really pains me. We shouldn't be sending park service employees to hike up to 5,000 feet and carry some numbnut out on a guerney in 4 foot snowdrifts. Nature's job is to weed out fools like that.

Percival,
We'll all remember you said this when something happens to you on a trail and you need help. Where's your compassion? Where's your sense of decency? What goes around comes around........

[c.coyle]

Looks like he's an experienced hiker who just fell. S**t apparently happened:

12/22/04 News Article

[Big Guy]

The one think I have learned from hiking is that sometimes things are not as they appear. I agree that we should not pass judgement on others. Each of us in our hiking experience can look back and think of really stupid things we did. In those instances we were either lucky we did not need help or someone else on the trail was willing to help. We need to be supportive and not demeaning or critical of others when we hear of these types of cases until all the facts are know..

[Percival]

If I go out seeking the Reaper, I'm liable to find him. Dimwittie found him, before misguided park policies interfered. Now the idiot will just have to make another appointment, and next time the Reaper will be some pissed for being stood up.

[Bolo]

Percival,

Your ridiculous little o...pinion has been noted.

Bolo

[TNadine]

You out on an icy ridge, and then you slip and twist something - it doesn't matter how friggin' experienced you are. Body is sedentary; therefore, body heat is quickly lost, and hypothermia sets in. If you hike alone, that can happen fo sho! Ever watch "Touching the Void?" Ever read "Lost!"?

[humanpackmule]

I lurk here occaisionally never felt a need to post. Now I know why.

I personally know David.

David has been part of the Parks SAR effort since, well since they had a SAR effort as far as I am aware.

Think of any lost hiker scenarios you remember were they called in more than just park personell. David was there.

The dude knows his **** and has hiked that whole area on and off trail many times over in every season. I would bet anything he is more experienced than ANY of his detractors.

This will be the first time in 36 years that David will miss spending New Years Eve at Spence Field.

David is the kind of guy that goes the extra mile for you. Last March he offered to help shuttle the Troop Van for us. When we finished the hike. David was there cooking dinner for the bunch of us, brought out his home brewed rootbeer to share, stayed up most of the night telling the boys stories of his adventures in the woods and the next morning cooked fresh doughnuts for everyone. Completely unasked.

David is a good guy and deserves support.

He'd do the same for you.

But then again he can't cause he was out there hiking and somehow got into trouble while y'all were busy sitting behind a compter screen talking crap.

Bye bye now.