Search initiated for missing hiker in Baxter park

[TJ aka Teej]

By The Associated Press

BAXTER STATE PARK, Maine — The Maine Warden Service has initiated a search for a Pennsylvania man who was last heard from late last week before setting out to hike in Baxter State Park.

Officials say the man, thought to be in his 40s, was reported to be planning to hike north of Abol Bridge.

The man's pickup truck has been located along the Appalachian Trail, whose northern terminus is atop Mount Katahdin inside the park.

Officials are seeking information from the public to assist in the search. They did not identify the man.

http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/105460.html

 

[TJ aka Teej]

Well this drama was over quickly...

(AP)
Thursday, May 7, 2009 5:37 pm
The Maine Warden Service has called off a search in Baxter State Park after locating a missing hiker at his home in Pennsylvania.

Wardens began the search Thursday for 30-year-old John Meharg of Reading, Pa., four days after another hiker found an expensive backpack abandoned on a trail.

Upon investigation, officials say they located the man at his home.

The Warden Service said weather problems led Meharg to abandon plans to climb Mount Katahdin and head south on the Appalachian Trail. He then ended up on another part of the trail, fell into water and hurt himself.

Officials say Meharg left the pack on the trail and made his way to a Millinocket hospital for treatment. He then took a cab to Bangor, rented a car and drove home.

http://www.timesleader.com/news/ap?articleID=2160997

 

[cushetunk]

Well this makes it quicker to run through the typical stages of "lost hiker" grief.


Stage 1: Gosh, I bet it is really cold and rainy and buggy up there. I hope this poor man is okay.

Stage 2: What a relief! He's okay!! He even self-rescued which is the epitome of the serious hiker. Go serious hikers! Yay!

Stage 3: Wait, he left his backpack in the col? And all that other stuff? Wtf?

Stage 4: Discussion of hypothetical circumstances in which a serious hiker might, in fact, find it appropriate to abandon backpack, all personal belongings, and pickup truck; "make his way" to Millinocket for medical treatment; and rent a car to return to Reading, PA.

Stage 5: "Well, that sort of thing might happen to others who are less wilderness savvy and unprepared, but it can't happen to me."

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Well this makes it quicker to run through the typical stages of "lost hiker" grief.

Stage 1: Gosh, I bet it is really cold and rainy and buggy up there. I hope this poor man is okay.

You forgot to mention that it gets dark in the evening and even serious hikers sometimes forget to bring their flashlights.

 

[chinooktrail]

Ok, why wouldn't he have taken the cab to his truck, and driven home in his own vehicle?

 

[TJ aka Teej]

Well this makes it quicker to run through the typical stages of "lost hiker" grief.

Stage 6: "Free backpack!!"

 

[daxs]

You have to wonder if he was ever going to retrieve his pack and vehicle. this story makes you say WTF.

 

[BobC]

A simple call from this guy to let police and/or park authorities know what happened would have been nice.

 

[TJ aka Teej]

the rest of the story:

http://www.wabi.tv/news/5807/warden-service-says-no-search

On Monday, a Brewer resident contacted authorities to report that they had found an expensive backpack left on the Appalachian Trail west of Abol Bridge.

Park rangers investigated the report and discovered the backpack. Upon further investigation they came to the conclusion that it belonged to a hiker named John Meharg of Reading, Pennsylvania.

When investigators contacted Meharg's family, they discovered that he was at his home in Pennsylvania.

While Mr. Meharg initially denied leaving his backpack behind, he later admitted that the backpack was his.

the rest of the rest of the story at link

 

[slevasse]

To just abandon your pack and vehicle seems really really strange. You have to wonder what this guy was thinking when he decided to rent a car and head home...

 

[chinooktrail]

There just has to be something else at work here.

I wonder how much the cab ride to Bangor was, and why he made that decision, rather than retrieve his truck, unless his keys were in the backpack...

Maybe the injury he received was to his head... and he simply wasn't hinking clearly.

 

[BobC]

If he knew about the thrashing he'd receive on the internet, he surely would have thought twice about just taking off like that.

 

[teejay]

I wonder

if maybe this was a "missing without a trace" plot gone awry. Just wondering. As far as the keys being left in the pack, it shouldn't be a problem getting a new key cut, with proper identification. I know, I've done it, twice.

teejay

 

[DougPaul]

There could also be mundane mechanical reasons for leaving his truck.
<speculation>
For instance, if it had a standard transmission and his injury was to his left leg, he might not have been able to drive it.
</speculation>

Doug
Who has faced the problem of driving a standard transmission car while recovering from leg injuries...

 

[wardsgirl]

Maybe it was an old s**tbox that he took for one last trip?

 

[rup]

Perhaps it was - UFOS and aliens!!