Stranded man was too embarrassed to use cell phone, lived on deserted island for 5 days

[Liberal_in_LA]

Man stuck on island for five days had cell phone
Justin Berton, Chronicle Staff Writer

San Francisco Chronicle November 22, 2010

(11-22) 18:58 PST CONCORD -- A harrowing story of survival emerged from Suisun Bay today - that of a wayward rafter who spent five days stranded on a deserted island nibbling on vitamins and native plants and fashioning a crude "SOS" sign until the U.S. Coast Guard rescued him.

But after returning to shore, Brian "Goat Man" Hopper added a twist to the tale. He admitted that he failed to make use of a key piece of equipment during his stay on Roe Island north of Concord: a cellular telephone.

"I was embarrassed to be stranded on an island," Hopper, a 54-year-old artist from Encino in Los Angeles, told The Chronicle. "I thought I could fix my boat and make it to land ... I didn't want to spend the taxpayers' money to have the Coast Guard come rescue some stupid guy."

But this morning, the Coast Guard did collect Hopper on a 25-foot boat after receiving a call from one of his friends - a man Hopper had telephoned directly.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/22/BA8N1GFV82.DTL#ixzz164VT0swE

[slackmaster]

1. Thanks for the chuckle

What a maroon.

[Crunchy Frog]

2. He was pretending to be Gilligan.

[rhiannon55]

13. Off topic, but those little boys are incredibly cute....

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. I have a few stories

from some of our patients, who really did not want to bother us...

Heck my dad, when he broke his hip... didn't want anybody to be woken up until the sun rose...

Yes some folks do that... why I really don't chuckle...

[somone]

"two burritos, a bag of vitamins, a bible, and a mannequin of Arnold Schwarzenegger"

is all you need.

[XemaSab]

4. What native plants was he eating?

I can't think of anything edible off the top of my head. :P

[Brother Buzz]

20. Pickleweed?

:hide:

[XemaSab]

21. That was my only thought too

:puke:

[K8-EEE]

5. ENCINO....say no more....

I'm just sayin'. Us East Valley peeps have ALL the sense!

[Liberal_in_LA]

7. woah! West Valley person here.

[K8-EEE]

8. It looks good on YOU though....

:hi:

[Liberal_in_LA]

9. thanks! Was East valley person in the past. Been all over the valley

[K8-EEE]

11. I've never lived West of Whitsett!

I'm from Studio City originally but for some reason I always ended up east of there -- Los Feliz, Hollywood, Glendale but now am in No Ho. Am really trying to save the Barnes & Noble in Encino, did you know that Caruso is trying to force them out for a CVS??? LIKE WHY DOES THERE NEED TO BE ANOTHER DRUG STORE THERE?? I kind of like that B&N on Hayvenhurst. Last year I found out late that my daughter wanted a Beatles monopoly game and they held one for me.....everywhere else was out. Hope they stay!

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. I know the B&N near Hayvenhurst. Not sure where the Encino one is

[kestrel91316]

15. That IS the Encino B&N. The only other one in the area is at the Topanga Promenade.

Then there are the Borders'.

[K8-EEE]

16. Yep! The Hayvenhurst one is Encino, and

the B&N does want to keep that store but they are trying to get them out.....oh why, why, WHY another drug store?? There is a facebook page called "Save Our Encino Barnes & Noble."

[Liberal_in_LA]

22. got it!

[K8-EEE]

10. PS OMG my dentist is in Encino and he is all

messed up with the Mel Gibson v. tarty babymama thing!! Called to testify by Mel now....YIKES FOR HIM! However he is an AWESOME and amazingly gentle dentist, highly recommended, Dr. Ross Sheldon if you know anybody who's looking.

[kestrel91316]

14. East Valley sucks. We've got nicer cars here in the West Valley.

[K8-EEE]

17. What??? Go to Bob's in Toluca Lake on Fri Night!!

if you want to see some fine CARS oh and PS you got a lot more frickin Republicans driving those cars too, I'm just sayin'.....I even saw some Meg Whitman lawn signs out that way! Oh the shame, the shame.....I'm in a Jerry Brown/Boxer neighborhood all the way baby.

[kestrel91316]

18. Hahaha, I was jes funnin' ya!!! (poke)

[K8-EEE]

19. We must have a Valley DU meetup sometime!

I actually went to one a long time ago & it was fun -- at Viva restaurant in Burbank!

[proteus_lives]

6. Pride goes before a fall.