View Full Version : Autistic Hiker Missing In West Virginia
iliketacos
10-16-2007, 08:43
http://www.ksat.com/news/14347892/detail.html
Rufous Sided Towhee
10-16-2007, 10:31
http://www.ksat.com/news/14347892/detail.html
We have a backpacking trip planned for the Sods this weekend. Hope he is found before then but if not we will volunteer to help with the search.
Overpass
10-16-2007, 12:20
This doesn't sound promising...:(
http://www.congoo.com/news/2007October16/Searchers-find-missing-Autistic-hiker
Can't understand why the parents would let a person in his condition out of their sight during a hike. :-?
Things happen out on trails. I have hiked with an autistic individual before. Fascinating guy, and a strong hiker.
I hope they find this young man alive soon.
musicwoman
10-16-2007, 15:38
http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=7218396&nav=HMO6Oagt
They need volunteers to help look for him.
Cookerhiker
10-16-2007, 18:16
I just heard the news update on our local NPR station (http://www.wfwm.org/). He hasn't been found yet. Fortunately although he's autistic, he's also a strong and experienced hiker in good physical condition so there's hope.
musicwoman
10-17-2007, 10:22
Does anyone have an update on this?
They are still searching for him.
Rufous Sided Towhee
10-17-2007, 10:54
I've never interacted with anyone who is severely autistic, so please forgive my ignorance here. The parents say that he has the mental capactity of a 3-year old, and has "limited verbal skills".
In terms of how he would respond to being lost/hearing searcher's voices, etc, how would his behavior differ from, say, a severly retarded teen? I would imagine the retarded person would act much like a 3-year old in terms of lack of understanding of consequences, not understanding "where mommy and daddy went", etc. But how about an autistic 18-year old? Would he understand, for instance, rolling up his pants and taking his boots off to cross a creek rather than just splashing through, getting wet and risking hypothermia? Can he read trail signs or at least understand what an arrow means?
We will be heading down there tomorrow to join the search.
musicwoman
10-17-2007, 11:03
I have worked alittle w/ autistic children, though not as severe a degree as what this young man seems to have.
My biggest worry or concern would be him responding to voices calling for him. I don't know that he would respond and might actually avoid it.
I interviewed an autistic hiker yesterday. He is someone I consider a friend. The point of the interview is to break down barriers to participation in outdoor recreation for people with autism and other disabilities and to increase understanding of autism. You can listen to it here;
http://americanhiking.chattablogs.com/archives/062017.html
Cookerhiker
10-17-2007, 13:58
Still hasn't been found yet. This is from this morning's local paper (http://www.times-news.com/local/local_story_290100704.html).
Rufous Sided Towhee
10-17-2007, 15:24
I interviewed an autistic hiker yesterday. He is someone I consider a friend. The point of the interview is to break down barriers to participation in outdoor recreation for people with autism and other disabilities and to increase understanding of autism. You can listen to it here;
http://americanhiking.chattablogs.com/archives/062017.html
Great interview. Thanks for posting that.
Jeff seems a lot higher-functioning that the way the missing teen is described.
It's 3:30 pm Wed, still no word on the missing kid. :(
Cookerhiker
10-17-2007, 16:58
Great interview. Thanks for posting that.
Jeff seems a lot higher-functioning that the way the missing teen is described.
It's 3:30 pm Wed, still no word on the missing kid. :(
Just heard the local news on my NPR station. Still no word as of 4:45. The report quoted a local sheriff saying temperatures had remained in the 30s overnight but it was dry. They were concerned about tonight because there's more of a chance of rain.
are they using dogs? Eairlier this year they looked for that Boy Scout for two days, They bought dogs in and found him in 2 hours?
Cookerhiker
10-17-2007, 19:33
are they using dogs? Eairlier this year they looked for that Boy Scout for two days, They bought dogs in and found him in 2 hours?
According to the news story I cited in Post 13 above, the answer is yes.
This young man is still out there as of 9:00 PM. I have had some experience with people diagnosed with autism. The idea of assigning a "mental age" is 1950's nonsense. Autism has a specific effect on a person's ability to communicate. Most folks are fully aware (even more than average) of what is being said to them, and other sensory stimuli. The trouble comes in processing the information, and responding in a way that is understandable to other people. I knew a man that rarely spoke, rarely made eye contact. But if you lost your keys or something all you had to do is explain to him your situation, ask his help, and leave him alone and your keys would appear. He saw everything that happened around him. I was gravely informed that he had the intellect of a 4 year old. Bull****e!
I reckon the lost man will be OK. I wonder if he has experience with finding water, food, and shelter in the wild without gear. An autistic 18 year old with hiking experience is in better shape than most folks. Tom Brown, the writer of tracking books, wrote that people with developmental disabilities make better survival decisions than PhDs.
I just hope that the person who makes contact with him is a generous soul.
Good luck Jake!
Frolicking Dinosaurs
10-17-2007, 22:41
We have an autistic nephew who is 20 yo. While he does not communicate well, he does understand how to take care of himself and is quite good at solving problems that arise. He would know to do things like use duff to stay warm and could probably make a fire without matches.
Autisic people often have normal intelligence. They simply do not have the ability to intepret the world around them in the same way we do. The biggest fear I have for the lost hiker is that he may be so frightened that he will hide from the searchers rather than going to them.
I've never interacted with anyone who is severely autistic, so please forgive my ignorance here. The parents say that he has the mental capactity of a 3-year old, and has "limited verbal skills".
In terms of how he would respond to being lost/hearing searcher's voices, etc, how would his behavior differ from, say, a severly retarded teen? I would imagine the retarded person would act much like a 3-year old in terms of lack of understanding of consequences, not understanding "where mommy and daddy went", etc. But how about an autistic 18-year old? Would he understand, for instance, rolling up his pants and taking his boots off to cross a creek rather than just splashing through, getting wet and risking hypothermia? Can he read trail signs or at least understand what an arrow means?
We will be heading down there tomorrow to join the search.
Rufous Sided Towhee
10-18-2007, 01:01
The biggest fear I have for the lost hiker is that he may be so frightened that he will hide from the searchers rather than going to them.
Most lost people would be so glad to see rescuers.
What is going on in the mind of an autistic person that would make them feel frightened and hide, rather than relieved and make their presence known? Afraid of being "in trouble" maybe? What could a person say/yell out along the trail to get the person's attention?
Cookerhiker
10-18-2007, 09:00
We have an autistic nephew who is 20 yo. While he does not communicate well, he does understand how to take care of himself and is quite good at solving problems that arise. He would know to do things like use duff to stay warm and could probably make a fire without matches.
Autisic people often have normal intelligence. They simply do not have the ability to intepret the world around them in the same way we do. The biggest fear I have for the lost hiker is that he may be so frightened that he will hide from the searchers rather than going to them.
Most lost people would be so glad to see rescuers.
What is going on in the mind of an autistic person that would make them feel frightened and hide, rather than relieved and make their presence known? Afraid of being "in trouble" maybe? What could a person say/yell out along the trail to get the person's attention?
Per this morning's paper, the search is still on-going. The WV State government is now involved and brought in experienced search-and-rescue personnel th augment the efforts of volunteers.
According to the article (today's hard copy only - on-line not availabe yet) his family doesn't believe he'll shy away from people.
The Dolly Sods area of Monangahela National Forest is a federal wilderness area which means trail markings and maintenance are miniumal. Thankfully the overnight temps have still been mild. If this had occurred one week earlier when overnight temps were below freezing in Dolly Sods, that could have been dangerous.
Cookerhiker
10-18-2007, 11:28
Per this morning's paper, the search is still on-going. The WV State government is now involved and brought in experienced search-and-rescue personnel th augment the efforts of volunteers.
According to the article (today's hard copy only - on-line not availabe yet) his family doesn't believe he'll shy away from people.
The Dolly Sods area of Monangahela National Forest is a federal wilderness area which means trail markings and maintenance are miniumal. Thankfully the overnight temps have still been mild. If this had occurred one week earlier when overnight temps were below freezing in Dolly Sods, that could have been dangerous.
Here's the on-line (http://www.times-news.com/local/local_story_291103207.html) edition.
Good news. He's been found, alive.
SGT Rock
10-18-2007, 17:07
Very good.
musicwoman
10-18-2007, 17:10
Great news!!!
Good news. He's been found, alive.
Where did you hear this?
Just saw it on Cnn.com--no full story yet, just a breaking news headline.
Wonderful news.
Where did you hear this?
As Gumball says, CNN is reporting this as breaking news. No details, yet.
Yahoo has this up
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071018/ap_on_re_us/hiker_found;_ylt=Ahav1vivVdrBk2x1JONULJms0NUE
The Associated Press broke the story. CNN picked it up.
Here's the AP's first report:
Autisitic Hiker Found Alive in W.Va.
By Associated Press
5:04 PM EDT, October 18, 2007
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - An autistic hiker lost in the Dolly Sods Wilderness area for four days has been found alive and reunited with his family, a spokesman for the search effort said Thursday afternoon.
The spokesman, Chris Stadelman, provided no details on Jacob Allen's condition or how the 18-year-old was found. A news conference was planned for Thursday evening.
SGT Rock
10-18-2007, 17:56
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,303380,00.html
Cookerhiker
10-18-2007, 18:04
Just heard the good news on the radio.:)
Waterbuffalo
10-18-2007, 18:20
wow good stuff
Glad to hear the good news.
SGT Rock, love the fox news plug :)
It was just reported on Good Morning America that he was found. He was hungry, thirsty, cold, and wet, but otherwise he was ok. :)
Good news.
Doesn't it seem odd that it is considered "Breaking News" on CNN?
buckowens
10-19-2007, 08:11
I was told by a buddy in the WVSP that he was unconscious and dehydrated, but should be OK. I was told his mental level was that of about a three year old. They were concerned that he was "hiding" when the helicopters went by, and was not aware how dangerous his situation was.
For those who have not been there, it is some pretty tough terrain. I have done searches with the SP helicopter there at night using FLIR and Goggles and it's no fun at all. We also had one of our Guard HH-60L's (Blackhawk) and some OH-58's (Bell Jetranger) with FLOR out there for a few days as well. Glad he was found, and amazed he was OK.
iliketacos
10-19-2007, 08:17
So does he qualify as a section hiker?
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — An autistic 18-year-old lost in the wilderness for four days was found sleeping under a bush Thursday, weak but apparently fine, and reunited with his family, searchers said.
"To the best of our knowledge, he was just hungry and thirsty and fatigued," Jim Reneau, one of the nine searchers who found Jacob Allen, said at a news conference at the command post near Davis, about 150 miles south of Pittsburgh.
Allen, who wandered away from his parents while hiking Sunday, was found lying in a clearing about a mile from where his hat was found Monday.
Allen, who has the mental capacity of a 3- or 4-year-old, opened his eyes and rolled over to meet his rescuers when Reneau's son, Jeremy Reneau, called out his name.
"He was very quiet, he was nonverbal," said Jeremy Reneau, 25, the first to spot Allen. "But you could tell by his body language he was hungry."
Rescuers fed him candy bars and peanut butter sandwiches and tried to walk him out of the wooded Dolly Sods Wilderness Area, part of the Monongahela National Forest. When he became too tired, they carried him out on a litter, Reneau said.
"The family is all together," search group spokesman Chris Stadelman said. "As soon as they heard the report he was alive and doing fairly well, they gathered in a prayer circle."
Allen was in good condition Thursday night at Davis Memorial Hospital in Elkins, where he was to be kept overnight for observation, hospital spokesman Bill Phillips said.
"I think the whole state's relieved," said Lara Ramsburg, spokeswoman for Gov. Joe Manchin, who visited the Allen family Wednesday night. "We're all relieved for him and his family."
Allen wandered away from his parents Sunday afternoon. Hundreds of volunteers and trained professionals had been combing the woods, calling for him to come to them for candy bars, ice cream and other food.
Allen had no food or water with him, but Stadelman had said there were natural water sources in the search area, which consists of about 10 square miles of often steep and brush-covered terrain.
Overnight temperatures dropped to as low as 38 degrees on the nights Allen was missing. He was wearing hiking boots, a long-sleeved T-shirt, a wind jacket and wind pants.