Lost Hiker Leaves a Journal Explaining Her Disappearance | Geraldine Largay Case Analysis

This video answers the question: Can I analyze the case of Geraldine Largay?

Dr. Grande’s book Harm Reduction:

References:

[victoriaelliott]

I was a friend of Gerry's in the 1990s when she lived in the Chicago area. We sang together in a large women's chorus. She was very funny, warm and inviting, and fun to hang out with. Following this story, I think that we all can imagine how one small error in judgement can lead us to a similar scenario as Gerry's. I hope that this analysis will help some people as they think about panic and anxiety. It can happen to any of us. Be kind as you think of Gerry and her family.

[DigitalNeb]

I had a panic attack on the Appalachian trail when I was in college. Was somewhere near Springer Mountain, and it was New Years eve. I was supposed to go with several people, but ended up going alone when everyone else bailed out. As a rank amateur, I ended up packing way too much stuff, and I was also totally unprepared for hiking on mountains in the snow as a life long Florida boy. Needless to say, by the end of the first day I was totally exhausted. Then, for some completely insane reason, I just gave up on the entire venture. Suddenly everything seemed hostile, and I HAD to get home.

Over the next 8 hours or so, I did every stupid thing I could have done to potentially get lost. This is all while carrying around 70 pounds of gear, which consisted of everything I could have (not of) possibly needed to survive and even be comfortable. I was so panicked, that I was taking "shortcuts, " I was climbing down cliffs freehand, I was blindly stumbling through underbrush and even streams in the frozen darkness. By the time I made it back to my truck, I was near hypothermic, and literally crying.

To this day, I don't know how I found my way out. I was absolutely lost for several hours. I grew up in the woods, and spent hundreds (maybe thousands) of hours roaming Florida swamps as a kid, but I was still totally unprepared for the situation I had put myself in. What I did know how to do was mark a point and move toward it and repeat. This is probably how I managed to navigate effectively even in the dark without using a compass. I'm still tremendously lucky that I didn't fall or descend into the wrong valley.

In the end, youth and luck saved me from a potentially deadly situation. If I hadn't been in my early 20's, I'm not sure how I would have made it out on my own. This poor lady didn't have a chance by comparison. It's been decades since that happened to me, but I can still remember how quickly everything went wrong in my mind. Since then I've learned that even experienced outdoor enthusiasts can panic in survival situations. This is why one of the first things you're told to do when you decide you're actually lost is to stop moving. The moral of the story for me, is never go into the wilderness alone. Even a small mistake can cascade into a life threatening event.

[walkyourdog]

As an older woman who has spent years doing long backpacking journeys by myself I totally understand why this woman got disoriented and died. Luckily I learned my hard lessons when I was younger and managed to survive them all. It is extremely important to keep situational awareness at all times and not panic. I have been lost in the snow, way beyond my skill level, and another time crossed a raging river, losing the trail. Both times I was extremely lucky to make it back.

[rejaneoliveira]

The letter she wrote to whoever finds her body is heartbreaking.😢 In her last moments, she tried to prevent her family of experiencing the pain of never finding her. She appears to have been a lovely woman, who sadly lost her life in such a horrible manner.

Great review, Dr. Grande.❤

[karenneill]

The number one rule of survival is “Don’t Panic”. It’s that first moment, when she realizes that she has lost the trail that the biggest mistake was made. If she had stayed put, she would have been found within a few days. There are techniques to re-find your trail, but you have to stop and plan and think. The first 15 minutes after that initial realization will determine your survival chances. My teenagers are now doing hikes alone, and I tell them the first thing you do if you think you might be lost is to sit down, physically prevent yourself from panic wandering. Then you can think of a reasonable strategy.

[mamaduck]

Tragic case. Hate to think of anyone suffering a lonely panicked fate, regardless of whether it was self inflicted via hubris. Well balanced analysis. Thanks for the video.

[debpearce]

When I was young, my dad told me, "if you panic you will die. If you do not panic, you have a chance to live. Do not panic, ever!" This was in regards to scuba diving but it served me well.

[Direkin]

The fact that she was not only so close to finishing, but also so close to safety all that time makes this even more tragic than it already is.

[leas]

As a field geologist who work regularly outdoors, this is very sad case. It is extremely easy to get lost if go outside a marked path (and there are many paths where marking has dissapeared). You can't trust mobile phones and they need electricity. Good compass is a must and those are a larger than "buttons". It is ok to challenge yourself, but hiking alone is very bad idea if prone to panic attacks and fear of darkness.
Edit, spelling.

[skeptigal]

The scariest Stephen King book I ever read was "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, " about a hiker who gets lost in Maine when she steps off the AT to use the bathroom, just as in this case. Strange coincidence! I've been lost in the woods alone before, and I would say it's basically impossible NOT to panic; it's fight or flight time.

[betterbee]

Dr. Grande! ❤️ My husband loves your videos and says "wait, is that Dr. Big?" Thanks for your videos and your dedication to your work.

[EmilyLucille]

This happened to me. Had gone hiking with my niece, daughter, and our 2 dogs. Didn’t time it right and stayed too long on the overhead cliff to watch the sunset so when we started to head back down to the trail we got lost because of the low lighting. I was so overconfident thinking we were going to be fine but then darkness came quickly and the panic started which I never experienced before. Being an ER nurse I am very self-sufficient but I couldn’t think during that panic attack. All I could think of was our exposure to the elements (it was Jan in NC) and how was I going to protect these girls and dogs from the cold and the animals overnight!😮 It happens to the best of us. Luckily, I stopped because I saw the scared look on my daughter’s face, I took a deep breath, retraced our steps, realized where we turned wrong and was able to get back the the trail. I feel for this lady. You never know what your reaction will be until you’re in that situation. 😢

[MotJ]

I cannot believe that her friend and her husband would both allow her to continue alone knowing that she wasn’t a skilled hiker or navigator. Everyone, including Geri, was overconfident in her ability.

[katarina]

She hiked all the way to nearing the end of the trail and was only 22 miles from meeting her husband. How awful. I swear I would have used the bathroom right there on the trail. I would never hike alone to begin with, but I sure wouldn’t have the bravery to walk off an established trail (unless it was only a few feet and I could still see the trail). Listening to her final journal entry to whoever finds her body and her last earthly thoughts being for her family was utterly heartbreaking.😢 She appeared to be a kind and lovely woman may she RIP.🙏

[richardwallace]

I was a member of a K9 team with a search and rescue squad for several years. I still vividly recall feeling panicked when I got disoriented in thick woods on a moonless night. Fortunately my dog knew exactly where we were. The golden rule: if you get lost, just stop, wait, and think. If the lost hiker had done so, it would not have been long until she heard other hikers.

[jabbermocky]

I have never hiked the Appalachian Trail. But I have trekked through the woods of Vermont on foot. One thing I never had to use was a ball of string I brought with me on hikes. Why string? Well, if you have to go off the trail you tie one end of the string to a tree ( or other stationary object ) and let out the remainder as you walk deeper into the brush, hoping to not drop the ball, so to speak. When you have finished what you need to do off-trail, you follow the string BACK to your starting point, gathering and rolling it back into a tight ball. That is NOT cheating. A ball of string can be practical, lightweight lifesaving gear. Fits in a pocket. Just a simple suggestion to hikers in the wild. RIP, Gerry.

[ammiller]

As a person with panic disorder with agoraphobia, thank you for bringing attention to this. When I'm having a panic attack it's as physical as it it is metal. There is no room for rational thought, it's like your instincts take over. Even when you manage to calm down physically, mentally there is this feeling that some, unspecified, life threatening, terrible thing is happening. Once my panic disorder was in full swing, it took years of CBT (cognitive behavioral thearpy) to *leave my house* the panic attacks are so crippling. I would do ANYTHING to avoid them. I have made quite a recovery with medication and CBT.

Panic attacks sort of feel like a heart attack, an asthma attack and a mental break down all at once. I cannot imagine what Geraldine must have went through in those final days, and while mistakes were definitely made by her, I 100% can understand how this could have happened if she was panicking. Panic literally takes your logic away in that moment. And the physical symptoms are exhausting. RIP Geraldine.

[candicane]

Geri may have had (mild) dementia. The disorientation, panic attacks and lack of awareness are definitely signs. I say mild because it probably wasn’t to the point of others (loved ones) being outwardly concerned, but the description of what happened definitely sound like dementia.

[grumpyoldlady_rants]

This is such a heartbreaking case. The most frustrating part of this is Geraldine had a PLB - a GPS Personal Locator Beacon - but she and her husband couldn’t figure out how to set it up so she left it in her vehicle.

I learned about her missing when I just happened to find the show “Northwood’s Law”, that took place in Maine, after having returned from a vacation in Maine. The episode was about searching for Geraldine. A few years later, I happened to catch the episode where her remains were found.

There is a book by about her “When You Find My Body” that tells the story. The title comes from a line in her journal that read, in part, “When you find my body, please contact my husband and daughter”.

[ceciliapetrowsky]

I’ve read several things about this case and it amazes and confounds me. First, she made it all the way to Maine which is amazing. Then she gets lost going to the bathroom. In all that time between bathroom break and death, she never heard any other hikers she could have called out to? Did she not hear dogs and helicopters? It’s really baffling and I feel so bad for her.