Not attempting to attract attention from helicopters

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Claim: Bear didn't even attempt to flag down the easiest source of rescue on Kilauea: tour and rescue helicopters.

This photograph shows two county helicopters responding to a tourist with a broken ankle near the coast. (August 24, 2001) Such helicopters are used extensively to search for hikers when they are reported missing or their car is left unattended for more than one day. The rangers at the end of the Chain of Craters Road will record license plate numbers of vehicles at night or in the morning and compare them the next day. Unlike tour choppers which must stay above 500 feet, the county choppers can skim the surface and look more closely. If necessary, ground searchers will flood the area to look inside large cracks or vegetated areas. Coincidentally, this is the same area as Bear's final destination. This photograph also shows the 2000 foot high cliff known as Pulama Pali. Although very imposing, it was not shown as the Bear made his way down from the top.
This photograph shows two county helicopters responding to a tourist with a broken ankle near the coast. (August 24, 2001) Such helicopters are used extensively to search for hikers when they are reported missing or their car is left unattended for more than one day. The rangers at the end of the Chain of Craters Road will record license plate numbers of vehicles at night or in the morning and compare them the next day. Unlike tour choppers which must stay above 500 feet, the county choppers can skim the surface and look more closely. If necessary, ground searchers will flood the area to look inside large cracks or vegetated areas. Coincidentally, this is the same area as Bear's final destination. This photograph also shows the 2000 foot high cliff known as Pulama Pali. Although very imposing, it was not shown as the Bear made his way down from the top.

On Kilauea, Bear does not once attempt to flag down a helicopter. In fact, the edited clips don't even show any helicopters at all. This is curious. Tour helicopters are a common way, if not the most common way, for tourists on Kilauea to be rescued. The fields are one of Hawaii's natural tourist attractions. You can book a tour with Fishbowl Tours, Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, Safari Helicopter Tours, Hawaii Air Tours, and many others. This popular activity, combined with the fact that any human activity on the desolate fields can stand out like a sore thumb, makes it an ideal method of rescue. One stranded tourist reported seeing as many as ten tour helicopters passing over him per day while he was lost[1]; his biggest challenge was not finding someone who could rescue him, but finding a way to signal and survive at the same time. Not only are tour choppers an option, but also rescue choppers, which will be dispatched if you are out for too long, and can fly lower.

For survival tips on Mount Kilauea, flagging down a helicopter (and how best to) should be the #1 survival tip. However, it isn't as glamorous, so it wasn't even mentioned.

[edit] Analysis

Support: Why would he need to attract the attention of helicopters? He was never more than 100 yards from a parking lot.

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