Although this happened over labor day weekend 2006, I have just recently joined the forum and thought I would share my experience now. I had only just received my CCW permit in the mail a couple of months prior to our camping trip up Farmington canyon, and I figured I would pack my Glock 26 with me for the weekend. I was new to carrying BTW and a 9mm was my only carry option. I know have many more options better suited for the mountains 
Although my wife supported me carrying, she never
saw the need for it in "Utah", and called it my "silly little habit". That opinion quickly changed later that night.
After a day of hiking and a bit of exploring, we made a fire for the night and sat enjoying each other's company until close to midnight. We had just retired to our tent and I was just dozing off when we were jolted wide awake by a blood curdling scream. I have to admit I almost had to change my shorts after waking up to that scream. We then began to hear a girl scream, "HELP ME, OH GOD, PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME". She proceeded to scream for help over and over. I jumped up and grabbed my pants and shirt so I could see what was going on. Keep in mind that we had no cell phone coverage up there. Otherwise, I would have dialed 911 first thing. My wife of course told me not to go, that there was no way she was going to let me go out alone in the middle of the night. I told her there was no way that I was going to let someone scream like that and not do anything, what if that had been her and no one came to help? She told me I could only go if I brought my Glock...I was already ahead of her and had it tucked in an IWB holster and a Maglite in my free hand. I gave her the other flash light and told her if anyone started coming, to get in the truck and lock herself in.
Although it was early Monday morning, and some campers had already left, there were still a lot of other people in the campground. I was shocked to see that I was the only person heading towards the screams. Not one other person bothered to come out of their trailers / tents to see what was going on. I expect that in California or Vegas, but not here. About 50 yards or so out of my campsite, the screams suddenly stopped. I thought to myself, someone was just killed, what in the *$% am I going to do? I kept my flashlight off and snuck towards where the girl had been screaming just moments before. I stopped outside another campsite when I heard another girl whispering, " who puts somebody in the trunk? Murders, rapists, and serial killers, that's who!" I have to admit, my heart was thumping, and the adrenaline was coming in full force.. What had I stumbled in on? No hero complex here, I was torn in trying to help this girl and being scared out of my mind with no idea what was going on in this campsite in the middle of night.
I sat listening until I heard another girl obviously upset, call someone an @[email protected]%$. I stepped closer and saw two females, one sitting inside the rear of a car, and the other a few feet away standing next to a male. I figured now or never, I put my Glock in the front pocket of my hoodie (not visible, but definitely at the ready), and flicked on my light. I asked if everything was ok. The male turned and started walking towards me, I blinded him with the light and asked him to stay where he was until I could figure out what was going on. All the while, I kept a very firm grip on my pistol. I did not like the situation I was in. I asked the girl sitting in the car if she was alright, and if she had been the one screaming. She replied she was ok now, and yes she had been screaming. As it turns out (the abbreviated version, as this is already turning out to be quite the novel), the guy was up camping with his girlfriend and her sister. She stated that she was off of her meds and freaked out a little. The sister told me she tried to start the tent on fire, and when the boyfriend tried to stop her, she grabbed a knife and tried to stab him. He grabbed her to take it and that's when she started screaming. he said the only way he could get her to stop screaming was by trying to put her in the trunk...now that I knew what was going on, I didn't feel any better. The boyfriend didn't want to drive home with the sister as he was afraid she was going to freak out again. He said that he had tried to call the police but didn't have any cell phone coverage either.
The sister and the boyfriend only seemed to agitate each other so I asked him to come with me over to the camp manager's trailer to call the sheriff. I have never been more in tune to my surroundings, than in that short time period. Once we arrived at the camp manager's trailer, he refused to even open his door to talk to us. He only yelled through the door that he doesn't get involved in situations, and that we would have to drive over the next hill for service to call it in. There was no way I was going to drive with a complete stranger over the hill in the middle of the night. We went back to their campsite, and by then the sister was calmed down and agreed to drive back down the mountain with her sister and her boyfriend.
I made a mental note of the make / model and license plate of the car and watched them drive down the mountain.
I came away with some valuable lessons that night. 1) Always be prepared 2)There are circumstances where law enforcement will not be available & 3) you can't always relay on others to come to your aid.
Although my wife supported me carrying, she never saw the need for it in "Utah", and called it my "silly little habit". That opinion quickly changed later that night.
After a day of hiking and a bit of exploring, we made a fire for the night and sat enjoying each other's company until close to midnight. We had just retired to our tent and I was just dozing off when we were jolted wide awake by a blood curdling scream. I have to admit I almost had to change my shorts after waking up to that scream. We then began to hear a girl scream, "HELP ME, OH GOD, PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME". She proceeded to scream for help over and over. I jumped up and grabbed my pants and shirt so I could see what was going on. Keep in mind that we had no cell phone coverage up there. Otherwise, I would have dialed 911 first thing. My wife of course told me not to go, that there was no way she was going to let me go out alone in the middle of the night. I told her there was no way that I was going to let someone scream like that and not do anything, what if that had been her and no one came to help? She told me I could only go if I brought my Glock...I was already ahead of her and had it tucked in an IWB holster and a Maglite in my free hand. I gave her the other flash light and told her if anyone started coming, to get in the truck and lock herself in.
Although it was early Monday morning, and some campers had already left, there were still a lot of other people in the campground. I was shocked to see that I was the only person heading towards the screams. Not one other person bothered to come out of their trailers / tents to see what was going on. I expect that in California or Vegas, but not here. About 50 yards or so out of my campsite, the screams suddenly stopped. I thought to myself, someone was just killed, what in the *$% am I going to do? I kept my flashlight off and snuck towards where the girl had been screaming just moments before. I stopped outside another campsite when I heard another girl whispering, " who puts somebody in the trunk? Murders, rapists, and serial killers, that's who!" I have to admit, my heart was thumping, and the adrenaline was coming in full force.. What had I stumbled in on? No hero complex here, I was torn in trying to help this girl and being scared out of my mind with no idea what was going on in this campsite in the middle of night.
I sat listening until I heard another girl obviously upset, call someone an @[email protected]%$. I stepped closer and saw two females, one sitting inside the rear of a car, and the other a few feet away standing next to a male. I figured now or never, I put my Glock in the front pocket of my hoodie (not visible, but definitely at the ready), and flicked on my light. I asked if everything was ok. The male turned and started walking towards me, I blinded him with the light and asked him to stay where he was until I could figure out what was going on. All the while, I kept a very firm grip on my pistol. I did not like the situation I was in. I asked the girl sitting in the car if she was alright, and if she had been the one screaming. She replied she was ok now, and yes she had been screaming. As it turns out (the abbreviated version, as this is already turning out to be quite the novel), the guy was up camping with his girlfriend and her sister. She stated that she was off of her meds and freaked out a little. The sister told me she tried to start the tent on fire, and when the boyfriend tried to stop her, she grabbed a knife and tried to stab him. He grabbed her to take it and that's when she started screaming. he said the only way he could get her to stop screaming was by trying to put her in the trunk...now that I knew what was going on, I didn't feel any better. The boyfriend didn't want to drive home with the sister as he was afraid she was going to freak out again. He said that he had tried to call the police but didn't have any cell phone coverage either.
The sister and the boyfriend only seemed to agitate each other so I asked him to come with me over to the camp manager's trailer to call the sheriff. I have never been more in tune to my surroundings, than in that short time period. Once we arrived at the camp manager's trailer, he refused to even open his door to talk to us. He only yelled through the door that he doesn't get involved in situations, and that we would have to drive over the next hill for service to call it in. There was no way I was going to drive with a complete stranger over the hill in the middle of the night. We went back to their campsite, and by then the sister was calmed down and agreed to drive back down the mountain with her sister and her boyfriend.
I made a mental note of the make / model and license plate of the car and watched them drive down the mountain.
I came away with some valuable lessons that night. 1) Always be prepared 2)There are circumstances where law enforcement will not be available & 3) you can't always relay on others to come to your aid.
