One afternoon the pilot of a small plane is flying low over a wilderness area. He notices a single hiker below him with a white pack and dressed completely in white clothing. The man is carrying two white hiking poles and travelling a known trail through an open field that is blanketed in snow. The hiker does not signal distress and is not far from a village. However, though the pilot sees nothing else alarming, he quickly radios for help for the hiker. How did the pilot know the hiker was in danger?
Does the hiker know that he needs help, as of the moment the pilot sees him?
Is the hiker heading for some hazard which is concealed by the snow?
Is the danger from humans?
Is the danger from non-human animals?
Is the danger from some non-animal living thing?
Is the danger from some nonliving aspect of the environment?
Is the starting point of the hiker’s trail visible?
Hmm, some better guesses: the hiker is camouflaged due to his outfit. There is something dangerous going on in the area–controlled demolition, artillery drills, etc.–which means nobody should be in the area; the pilot, realizing this is about to happen and that this fool was missed by previous scans due to his outfit, radios for help.
In case that’s not right, a few questions:
Did the hiker’s outfit mean that he wasn’t seen previously?
Is the “help” radioed for to avoid a future event, not something that’s already happened?
Will the hiker want the help the pilot is radioing for?
Does the pilot have any relevant information that he got in some way other than seeing it? For instance, having heard over the radio that there was a lost hiker in the area.
Is the “known trail” the hiker is following frequented by humans?
Is it frequented by dangerous animals?
Is there physical evidence of such animals evident (for instance, prints)?
One afternoon the pilot of a small plane is flying low over a wilderness area. He notices a single hiker below him with a white pack and dressed completely in white clothing. The man is carrying two white hiking poles and travelling a known trail through an open field that is blanketed in snow. The hiker does not signal distress and is not far from a village. However, though the pilot sees nothing else alarming, he quickly radios for help for the hiker. How did the pilot know the hiker was in danger?
NEW INFORMATION: The hiker knows he needs help from nonhuman animals. His clothing color doesn’t contribute to the danger. The hiker isn’t intending to hide. The pilot has no additional information.
Does his clothing color clue the pilot in that the man needs help, in some way?
Does his location clue the pilot in that the man needs help?
Is the timing of the man’s presence on the trail indicative of his need for help (e.g., it’s at night)?
Is the man behaving in the manner of a normal recreational hiker?