Disturbing Screams in the Woods? Nope, It’s Just a Guy Singing Nickelback

If you’re hiking through the woods and hear someone yelling, your brain usually kicks into emergency mode. But in this case, it turned out to be slightly less urgent than it sounded.

Last Thursday, a pair of hikers exploring a remote climbing area in British Columbia, Canada, heard what they described as “repeated cries” echoing through the forest. Naturally, they assumed someone was in trouble and called search and rescue.

The response team rushed to the area and followed the sounds of faint yelling through the trees.

After narrowing down the source, they eventually discovered the culprit… a man camping alone, screaming Nickelback lyrics into the wilderness.

That’s right. There was no emergency, just an impromptu solo concert of Canadian rock classics. The man was, in the words of the search team, “belting out Nickelback’s greatest hits” with all the passion of a sold-out arena show.

Thankfully, the rescue team took it in stride. They thanked the hikers for doing the right thing and checking, just in case. After all, better safe than sorry. The search manager even got a little dig in, saying, “Our services are always free. And the money you save could be spent on singing lessons.”

While the situation turned out to be a false alarm, it’s a great reminder to always report suspicious or unusual sounds in the wilderness. It might be nothing… or it might just be someone butchering “Photograph” at full volume.

(For what it’s worth, Nickelback is from Canada — just not British Columbia. They formed in the neighboring province of Alberta. And their original band name was “Village Idiot.” Fitting, given all this.)

If you ever find yourself on a solo camping trip with nothing but the trees and your vocal cords, maybe give the rescue services a heads-up. (“AND THIS IS HOW YOU REMIND ME…!”)