By Stu Marks, Adventure-Crew Outdoor Reporter, Monday, 7-9-07

Mary O'Brien, the Arlington, VA school teacher missing since Tuesday (July 3), walked out of the woods near a boat ramp on Saturday at Lake Mills, WA. She had been hiking in Olympic National Park.

Parents and siblings of the 45-year old elementary school teacher were gathered at a family home in Malden waiting word from rescue crews. Fifty volunteers, family members and rescuers had searched for clues of Mary’s whereabouts from earliest light to after sunset for five days.

Her younger brother, Neil O’Brien stated, “Mary had walked perhaps 40 or 50 miles.” He also said that the boat launch employees had offered her paramedic attention and first aid but she had refused, only asking for “…a ride.”

Family members described Mary as an experienced hiker who never used a global positioning system device and could have lost track of the mountain trail in melting snow.

When researching this story shortly after breaking news alerted the Adventure-Crew staff of Mary’s “self rescue”, it became clear that information was somewhat sketchy surrounding the issue of Mary’s family receiving information of her condition and immediate intentions. One news agency, The Boston Globe, actually reported that her family was asking her to return home; a statement that implies extenuating circumstances surrounding her absence or intentions.

Because of the increasing unreliability of the main stream press in reporting even the simplest stories, it is quite possible that there are no side issues, and everything is as expected, just a missing hiker returning home after losing her way; an honest mistake in navigation the cause.

Being born and raised in The Northwest, I can certainly attest to the remoteness of even some of the best maintained hiking trails. At upper elevations where snow clings to mountain sides and valleys late into the year, getting lost is not a rare occurrence.

As we watch this story the Adventure-Crew outdoor team will keep abreast of these issues.