We are most familiar with Katmai National Park because of Fat Bear Week every autumn. The park in Alaska has cultivated many fans who keep up with the progress of bears gaining weight through the summer by watching live webcams set up around the park's bear country. That was a good thing for a hiker who became lost while walking on Dumpling Mountain last Tuesday. Users who were watching noticed a man addressing the Dumpling Mountain camera about 3:15. He had walked by the camera, then realized it was a chance to communicate and came back. The wind drowned out the man's voice, but viewers could see he was cold, wet, and miserable in the rain and fog.
Viewers contacted the site's moderators, and one even contacted his local police. About three hours later, park rangers found the unnamed man waiting near the bearcam. It was the first time that Explore.org's webcams were used for a rescue situation. We don't know if the hiker is a fan of Fat Bear Week, but anyone who wanders the park's four million acres must at least be familiar with it. He recognized the opportunity for help and used it to save his own life. Read the story of the rescue here. -via Boing Boing
(Image credit: Explore.org)