Found Alive NY - Constantinos 'Danny' Filippidis, 49, Lake Placid, 7 Feb 2018

[loveisthemovement]

Thinking about him calling his wife and why he did when he did....

I had a decent concussion when I was 12. For about 12 hours afterwards my brain could not retain information. Example - I would ask someone where I was, they'd tell me, I'd nod in agreement and then 2 minutes later I would ask again. I remember nothing about these hours (going to the hospital, assessment, my mom meeting me at the hospital) still to this day. Any information I have was told back to me later.

Around 15 hours after I hit my head, I can clearly remember waking up in the hospital, was able to retain information and recite my name, phone number, the name of the prime minister. It was like a switch came back on and I was back up and running again.

Perhaps this is similar to Danny's experience. He was awake and conscious for the few days while travelling but didn't really "come to" until he was in California and remembered his wife's name and number.

 

[Hap]

The only thing is.... if he fell and had a concussion, somehow made his way to get help/a ride... wouldn't he have had his ski boots on? or just socks? I really want to believe this is just a bizarre true story. I hope for the sake of his family that it is.

 

[j_in_c]

I don't disagree, but he had a wad of cash on him.

I think this will turn into one of those cases where everything worked out well (no one died or stayed missing) but we never know the REAL story and so it slowly drives me nuts.....

I don't have the article, but one of the reports stated he went to an ATM in Sacramento and that is where the cash came from. I still lean very strongly towards head injury and memory loss. You don't just stroll around Sacramento in full ski gear if you are trying to "walk away" from your life nor do you go purchase a cell phone so you can call your wife to try and figure out what is going on.

 

[meanmaryjean]

I don't have the article, but one of the reports stated he went to an ATM in Sacramento and that is where the cash came from. I still lean very strongly towards head injury and memory loss. You don't just stroll around Sacramento in full ski gear if you are trying to "walk away" from your life nor do you go purchase a cell phone so you can call your wife to try and figure out what is going on.

What ATM will dispense $1000?

 

[Cherry]

Veddy VEDDY Fishy indeed!
Wtf over!?

 

[moonriverfarm]

Papini - like

 

[thesensitivechild]

He has to remember his pin to get cash out...


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[DakotaMayi]

He has to remember his pin to get cash out...


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Like Amber Gerweck did.

Unless he went to the bank? Although, I'm sure he would need something else, ID etc with him which he didn't have.

 

[meanmaryjean]

Something ain't right here....MOO and all

 

[TheCrankyChef]

I'm still stuck on how anybody who gave him a ride hasn't come forward. On my limited "Goggle Fu" there a couple year round campgrounds and there where a lot of events going on. Maybe possible he caught a ride with someone in a RV heading back to Cali? It would be easier to sleep in one of those instead of a sleeper berth in a semi.

The driver would have to sleep sometime and I have a hard believing that a truck driver wants to cozy up to a stranger in full ski gear in the sleeper.

 

[yurena]

He has to remember his pin to get cash out...


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I was about to write the same thing! selective memory loss?

I just think this whole story is surreal. I do not even understand why the driver has not come forward, why he took that much money from the cash machine, how he thought of getting a haircut of all things, why a new IPhone etc, etc...

 

[Dion]

I'm still stuck on how anybody who gave him a ride hasn't come forward. On my limited "Goggle Fu" there a couple year round campgrounds and there where a lot of events going on. Maybe possible he caught a ride with someone in a RV heading back to Cali? It would be easier to sleep in one of those instead of a sleeper berth in a semi.

The driver would have to sleep sometime and I have a hard believing that a truck driver wants to cozy up to a stranger in full ski gear in the sleeper.

and didn't the driver think it odd that a stranger clomping along in ski boots would be willing to go wherever he was going, even if it was sunny California? Didn't he think that there might be some kind of mental problem going on?

Even if the driver didn't come forward (perhaps on the road and not listening to news channels) you would think he would mention to friends or family about how he picked up this skier in NY and dropped him off in California still wearing all his gear.

 

[Turnus]

I have been enjoying the discussion here and am open to the idea that part or all of this was a hoax.

However the idea that he didn't have ski boots on or that he remembered his pin number means he did not suffer some sort of head trauma is quite misleading. From my own informal study and understanding of how the brain works, there are several levels of conscious and unconscious brain operation. As poster above (who suffered a concussion) noted, ability to create new memories (short term memory and long term memory) can be impaired while basic motor function and automatic nervous system responses remain functional. The ability to create new memory is similarly affected by too much alcohol, for example, and leads to "black outs" in people where no new memories are recorded but the individual continues to be active and talk/do activities/etc. This is the basis for that classic morning-after trope "what did I do last night?!" My point is simply that he may have suffered a head injury but continued to be active, including changing out of skis and ski boots (a fairly automatic activity -how often does your conscious mind wander while doing the same thing?). Furthermore, when we think about pin numbers, which are used so often (especially since people often use a singular pin for many cards/accounts) that they become part of the automatic (unconscious) muscle memory side of the brain, i can see them being able to be recalled /performed even with impaired memory.

Another reported fact that lends credence to a head trauma story - if I'm not mistaken, excessive sleep is common after concussions and the like.

I also understood from the stories above that he had the credit card and took money out, from an atm in sacremento, not that he had thousands of dollars the entire time.

As for the phone - you can buy a new or used unlocked phone, no id necessary. You can buy a prepaid simcard also no id necessary. Id is only necessary with contract phones (which is often how people upgrade, ie renewing/on contract).

Again, I'm open to other interpretations, but I can see him finally and slowly "coming to" out of a fugue state, realizing he wasn't where he should be, realizing he needed money to try and get home, and realizing he needed to call someone. Again, the muscle - memory of his wife's number trumps the head trauma and he's able to call her.

All moo. ...

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[mojook]

Don't they have video from when he got his hair cut, or bought the iPhone? Nowadays there are cameras everywhere. I'm sure it would stand out if a guy all decked or in ski gear came for any of those services.

I really don't believe he stayed in that ski suit the whole time. He must have had regular clothes, and only changed when he was ready to give up the gig. I don't really believe his story, call me a skeptic.

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[perfectingpink]

In the late 80's, a friend of mine, her sister and father were murdered. A contractor who had been working on a sunroom in their home was later found in Florida, in my friend's vehicle, after he called home. He claimed he had amnesia and remembered nothing. He was found not guilty. True story, I promise.

 

[ttcRider]

Don't they have video from when he got his hair cut, or bought the iPhone? Nowadays there are cameras everywhere. I'm sure it would stand out if a guy all decked or in ski gear came for any of those services.

I really don't believe he stayed in that ski suit the whole time. He must have had regular clothes, and only changed when he was ready to give up the gig. I don't really believe his story, call me a skeptic.

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This! Totally agree. IMO of course.

 

[Jackeee]

My compassionate side is with him. A head injury can really mess you up. My slightly squiffy side is saying “hmmmm”.

 

[rosesfromangels]

Drug test him for traces. Sounds like a heck of a bender to me
Amateur opinion and speculation

 

[intriguedcuriosity]

Damn. The speculation is deep in this thread... Wtf!

I hope the victim is ok & can't imagine how scary this is.

Head injuries are serious.

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[ttcRider]

Head injuries are very serious. I wonder if anyone saw him fall while skiing. It would have to be a very scary fall and perhaps him laying unconscious for a matter of time. He did have a helmet on thank goodness.