View Full Version : Inquiring about a wayward hiker.
Altarboy
04-13-2014, 11:24
On March 28, I encountered a downed hiker about 1/2 mile south of Hawk Mt. shelter. I had seen dropped gear along the trail, and then I walked up on him curled up in the fetal position a few feet off the trail. He was semi-conscious, and had green phlegm covering his face and shirt. I approached him and spoke to him and he mumbled that he was alright. I could not get a cell signal, and so I walked about a 1/4 mile north and was able to contact 911. They took down the info, and then told me to hang on, that the Blairsville Rescue people would call me. While I was waiting, I texted my brother who told me to look for a head injury, look for a medical alert bracelet, and otherwise try to get something sweet into his mouth. The rescue people called and got a fix on my location, and then I went back to him. I mixed up some strong Poweraid and got some down him. After drinking most of the bottle, he sat up and told me he was on ptsd meds, and had drank a lot the night before. After just a minute of talking to him, I realized he was not entirely healthy mentally, and he was without a tent. I went back to call the rescue people to inform them that he was crazy and would need to be led out of the woods for his own good. They informed me that if he can recite his name, what day it is, and where his is, they cannot take him against his will if he doesn't want to go. I went back with more water and he was able to stand and (sadly) smoke. I gave him a refill and walked toward the shelter to meet the rescue people. They arrived and talked to me and another hiker who stopped (a nice older man who looked a lot like Walter Mathau) and then went to get him. They sat with him for a while and after he drank some Propel, they asked him a few questions and, as he answered the correctly, they left him. That night, it got down to around 39 degrees and was very rainy. He never made it to Hawk shelter. I have wondered and worried about him ever since. I now wish I had gone back to check on him. He said his name was Stephen Daniel. Has anyone heard anything about him? The Army Rangers were training very heavily that night and choppers were all over the place. I was hoping maybe they got him out. If anyone has heard or read anything, please let me know.
HikerMom58
04-13-2014, 12:45
Hey Altarboy... thanks for reaching out to Stephen Daniel. God bless you! This is what makes me proud to be associated with AT hikers. You and many others are some of the most compassionate people I have ever met in my life. I want to join forces with you and others like yourself.
I hope someone on here can report back to you about this man. I pray the report will be positive.
Again, thanks so much for sharing this with us & for caring about others that cross your path!
Our Wounded Warriors are just hurting and every now and then they get to meet someone like you Altarboy!
Altarboy
04-13-2014, 15:07
I didn't do anything special. It would have been better to go back a third time and drag him to the shelter.
HikerMom58
04-13-2014, 16:48
I didn't do anything special. It would have been better to go back a third time and drag him to the shelter.
I know what you are thinking... I felt the same way when I met up with a mentally ill hiker on McAfee Knob. I felt so bad leaving him out there after helping him get some food. If these guys had a broken leg we wouldn't leave them alone in the woods.... what else can we do??
I just wanted to let you know, as someone who knows Stephen personally, you were misled as to his actual persona. He is not a veteran of any sort, he is mentally unstable. He has been on the run from his "demons" for quite some time. He's an alcoholic, he has bipolar disorder & borderline personality disorder. He is off his meds and if he has been drinking certain beverages he can be dangerous. Even with a blood alcohol level of .267 (no that is not a typo) he can walk, answer questions (though not truthfully) and is alert. He will be in full blackout mode, and he will fight and be super strength.
When he first left after he had gone off his meds over a year ago I had sent word out to the trail angels and the park rangers about Stephen. They had put a photo of him out on the trail and set out word about him. Since then he has been arrested and hospitalized several times but he still seems to find himself back out on the trail. Since you posted he was arrested in Johnson City, TN for basically a Dine & Dash at a Mexican restaurant to the tune of around $80. Knowing him I'd venture to say that the majority of that was alcohol.
He is very ill. If you were to see photos of him from a year ago against the man you saw on the trail that night in March you'd be shocked.
He refuses help for his illness so don't believe that you'd be able to find him and help him back to sanity. I tried that myself for 3 years of my life.
I just wanted to let you know that he was found or wandered off the trail at some point and he did manage to get himself in trouble again and is alive.