[at-l] Hiker found dead near Blood Mountain

[Tim Rich]

Y'all are far too romantic for me.  I'd rather stay on top of my health, recognize warning signs and get help instead of being a dead 54 year old who had to be retrieved by SAR.  I plan on doing plenty of post-54 walking.  Perhaps if you're facing a certain, unpleasant near term demise, walking into a winter storm in the Whites might be the way for some to go.  Abbey lingered in a hospital, and his death was neither quick, violent nor economical.

Take Care,

Tim
--- On Wed, 9/1/10, David Addleton <dfaddleton at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: David Addleton <dfaddleton at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [at-l] Hiker found dead near Blood Mountain
> To: "Linda Patton" <lpatton at fsu.edu>
> Cc: at-l at backcountry.net
> Date: Wednesday, September 1, 2010, 5:35 PM
> I doubt he suffered long at all:
>  "Poles in hand, pack still on his back"
> I understand heart attack may be painful; I also understand
> the
> massive one are unusually short.
> Maybe Clyde can tell us about the pain difference between
> heart attack
> and kidney stones?
> 
> 
> On Wed, Sep 1, 2010 at 1:24 PM, Linda Patton <lpatton at fsu.edu>
> wrote:
> > The best place to be when it happens.  Hope he didn't
> suffer long.
> > ~~ eArThworm
> >
> > From: http://www.ajc.com/news/hiker-found-dead-on-603532.html
> >
> > Hiker found dead on Appalachian Trail
> >
> > It appeared James J. Dutton had stopped for a rest.
> Poles in hand, pack still on his back, the Illinois man's
> lifeless body was discovered by local hikers Monday
> afternoon on the Appalachian Trail, just west of Blood
> Mountain.  "There doesn't appear to be any signs of foul
> play," said Darren Martin, an investigator with the Lumpkin
> County Sheriff's Office. The county's coroner believes
> Dutton, 54, died of natural causes.  "His family has a
> history of heart problems, so a heart attack is likely what
> happened," said Ronald Fortner, Lumpkin County Coroner's
> Office investigator.  Fortner told the AJC Dutton had been
> dead 6 to 8 hours earlier. He was not reported missing.
> >
> > And from: http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=231872
> >
> > Hiker found dead on AT in Lumpkin County
> >
> > DAHLONEGA - Hikers on the Appalachian Trail in Lumpkin
> County found a man dead Monday afternoon.
> > Investigator Darren Martin with the Lumpkin County
> Sheriff's Department said 54-year-old James J. Dutton was
> found leaning against a rock on the trail. Martin said it
> appears he died from natural causes, although an
> investigation continues.  "We are talking to the family and
> to other medical personnel that have dealt with him," said
> Martin.  Authorities received the call from the AT around
> 1:30 p.m., and Martin said it took over an hour for
> authorities to hike to the area where Dutton's body was
> discovered.  Dutton, who is from out of state, apparently
> had been hiking from Amicalola Falls to Blood Mountain
> >
> >
> >
> > Visit my website at http://booksforhikers.com
> > "Better to be lost in the woods than in a maze of
> cubicles…"
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