Family Lost in Corn Maze Calls 911

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  • Daryl
    Senior Member
    • May 2004
    • 831
    • .

    Family Lost in Corn Maze Calls 911



    Some people should stick with watching tv.
    Sometimes the old man passed out and left the am radio on so I got to hear the oldie songs and current event kind of things
  • pelligrini
    Veteran Member
    • Apr 2007
    • 4217
    • Fort Worth, TX
    • Craftsman 21829

    #2
    That's pretty scary...
    I think those kids are going to have a tough time later on in life.
    Erik

    Comment

    • sweensdv
      Veteran Member
      • Dec 2002
      • 2862
      • WI
      • Baileigh TS-1040P-50

      #3
      Seriously, 25 feet in and they are hopelessly 911 lost..............pathetic!
      _________________________
      "Have a Great Day, unless you've made other plans"

      Comment

      • atgcpaul
        Veteran Member
        • Aug 2003
        • 4055
        • Maryland
        • Grizzly 1023SLX

        #4
        I heard this on the radio this morning but didn't know there were kids involved or that it was 7pm.

        I'm positive my reaction would not have been to dial 911. However, I can empathize with the mom's high anxiety level in that situation. It's dark or getting very dark. You can't see the map anymore and your cell phone won't stay on long enough to see anything. Your 5 year old is probably getting close to bedtime and is possibly hungry and getting cranky. Your 3 week old could be hungry and cold. Who knows. We have 2 kids under 2 and I know when they start wailing, my first instinct is to make it stop and if that means getting myself out of a stressful situation like that maze to calm everone down, I'm going to do whatever it takes. I don't know why they didn't just yell out, "A little help here" or the dad just pick a direction and start walking straight through. It's corn, not brambles.

        Obviously, this couple is never going to win the Amazing Race.

        Comment

        • jackellis
          Veteran Member
          • Nov 2003
          • 2638
          • Tahoe City, CA, USA.
          • BT3100

          #5
          Some people should stick with watching tv.
          I agree.

          Someone ought to write a book about 911 stories. I'll bet it would sell like hotcakes. It might also educate a few folks.

          Comment

          • LCHIEN
            Internet Fact Checker
            • Dec 2002
            • 20914
            • Katy, TX, USA.
            • BT3000 vintage 1999

            #6
            the article said the owner said that it normally took about an hour for most people to get thru.

            It also said it was near dusk so the family was anxious (panicked?)

            It did not say when they entered the maze. Were they aware it took most people an hour? Did they start too late to finish before dark? They only were 25 feet in from the edge but it didn't say how far along paths they had gone.

            Were they too dumb to realize a small child and a baby were not up to an hour long trek that all looked the same (boring) if they were not engaged in the maze solving part?

            Was the maze basically unattended and no other patrons there (the emergency people were able to talk to them immediately) so that no one could hear if they yelled for help?

            Why is it that news articles never seem to provide the answers to the questions they raise?
            Last edited by LCHIEN; 10-12-2011, 02:52 PM.
            Loring in Katy, TX USA
            If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
            BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

            Comment

            • atgcpaul
              Veteran Member
              • Aug 2003
              • 4055
              • Maryland
              • Grizzly 1023SLX

              #7
              Originally posted by LCHIEN
              Why is it that news articles never seem to provide the answers to the questions they raise?
              I think there's news and then there's tabloids. This is leaning towards tabloid because it is far from being unbiased. I actually heard it first on NPR and I had no sympathy for the family compared to when I read the article. It's pure fluff and was used to fill air time/pages in a newspaper. My local TV station has a "Weird News" segment every night. I know this story is going to be featured there today.

              Anyone do the Dole Pineapple Maze in Hawaii? We did it 2 years ago. I was ashamed it took us an hour (I blame myself for letting my wife navigate a little). It was bright sun outside and I could clearly see all the landmarks--when I found them. You could even see through the thickets to other lanes but there was no way through.

              This family might have been 25ft from the entrance but if you've been in a proper maze, you know that these things fold on themselves and that's what makes them frustrating. You aren't always working left to right, or top to bottom. It could have been designed to fold onto itself so although they were only 25ft away, they'd been walking for a while. The corn in those photos was super thick and high enough that no reasonable person could tell where they were unless they used overhead trees as landmarks--probably not going to happen in the dark.

              Most of these big mazes have lookout towers that help guide people through if they need it. Some other ones give you flags so spotters can tell where you are.

              Here's the promo for this corn maze. I guess for this family, it was true:


              http://www.connorsfarm.com/hauntedfield.htm (of course, it does say not recommended for smaller children and that the maze is only open from dusk to 10pm. This family should have known better)

              Comment

              • cabinetman
                Gone but not Forgotten RIP
                • Jun 2006
                • 15218
                • So. Florida
                • Delta

                #8
                They just got cornfused.

                .

                Comment

                • Knottscott
                  Veteran Member
                  • Dec 2004
                  • 3815
                  • Rochester, NY.
                  • 2008 Shop Fox W1677

                  #9
                  Another great example of why stupid people shouldn't breed!
                  Happiness is sort of like wetting your pants....everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth.

                  Comment

                  • atgcpaul
                    Veteran Member
                    • Aug 2003
                    • 4055
                    • Maryland
                    • Grizzly 1023SLX

                    #10
                    Originally posted by cabinetman
                    they just got cornfused.:d

                    .
                    lmao!!!!!!!!!

                    Comment

                    • Cochese
                      Veteran Member
                      • Jun 2010
                      • 1988

                      #11
                      They took a three-week old to a corn maze.

                      You don't take a three-week old anywhere, not during flu season. Idiots.
                      I have a little blog about my shop

                      Comment

                      • LCHIEN
                        Internet Fact Checker
                        • Dec 2002
                        • 20914
                        • Katy, TX, USA.
                        • BT3000 vintage 1999

                        #12
                        a NY times article on mazes

                        Modern corn mazes are complex systems, but they are meant to be challenging, not panic-inducing, according to maze builders, and getting out should never require a police escort.
                        Loring in Katy, TX USA
                        If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                        BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                        Comment

                        • cabinetman
                          Gone but not Forgotten RIP
                          • Jun 2006
                          • 15218
                          • So. Florida
                          • Delta

                          #13
                          Originally posted by LCHIEN
                          The article didn't give much new information about the family, but it's understandable how disoriented someone can get. The response to their dilemma has been more of how idiotic the parents were in calling 911 to get help, instead of compassion. They may have had some bearings and the ability to follow some guidelines, but with some distractions, it was easy to get confused within 25 ft of an exit.

                          .

                          Comment

                          • sweensdv
                            Veteran Member
                            • Dec 2002
                            • 2862
                            • WI
                            • Baileigh TS-1040P-50

                            #14
                            Originally posted by cabinetman
                            .......... They may have had some bearings and the ability to follow some guidelines, but with some distractions, it was easy to get confused within 25 ft of an exit.
                            However, as long as they had functioning vocal cords and the ability to be heard if they had just hollered, why call 911?
                            _________________________
                            "Have a Great Day, unless you've made other plans"

                            Comment

                            • woodturner
                              Veteran Member
                              • Jun 2008
                              • 2047
                              • Western Pennsylvania
                              • General, Sears 21829, BT3100

                              #15
                              Originally posted by LCHIEN
                              a NY times article on mazes
                              That's a good article that may help some of the posters understand why the family was not able to get out.

                              I'm guessing that most of the people making fun of the couple and calling them names have never been in a corn maze. These are difficult mazes that about 20% of people can solve on their own - the rest get help. The corn is closely grown and densely packed, so it's difficult to cut through the walls without tools.

                              It's unfortunate that some are calling the parents "stupid" or worse for making fun of the couple for taking appropriate action. Think of what the news reports would be if they had not - "Negligent parents charged with infanticide in corn maze incident".
                              --------------------------------------------------
                              Electrical Engineer by day, Woodworker by night

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