Sometimes, it’s the smallest decision that can change everything. For one lost hiker in Colorado, it nearly cost his life.

The man set out early to climb Mount Elbert, the state’s highest peak. When he didn’t return home that evening, loved ones panicked and called for help. Search and rescue teams spent the night combing the rugged mountain — calling his phone again and again. But he never picked up. Why? The number was unknown.

For 24 hours, rescuers feared the worst. Meanwhile, the hiker — lost, cold, and disoriented — wandered through the wilderness trying to find the main trail. By sheer luck, he finally reached his car the next morning, unaware of the frantic search happening all around him.

Officials later shared the bizarre detail: “He ignored repeated phone calls from us because he didn’t recognize the number,” Lake County Search and Rescue wrote. “If you’re overdue and getting calls from an unknown number — please answer. It could save your life.”

It’s a simple message that carries a chilling truth: sometimes, safety depends on answering the call you weren’t expecting.