A man is stranded in the wilderness, in a remote northern area. There’s a lake nearby, and utility poles carrying electricity, presumably to a nearby town. However, there’s no way he can make it to the town in the freezing cold weather.
The man has a dinghy, two paddles, and an axe, but no devices that can communicate with anyone and no way to make a fire.
How does the man manage to get rescued as quickly as possible?
Click to show solution
Use the axe to cut down the utility poles, which causes an electricity outage in nearby towns. Restoring electricity is a high priority in cold regions, so the utility company sends a repair team out as soon as possible.
True Story
This lateral thinking brain teaser is based on a true story. In 2010, “A man stranded in the bush in northern Saskatchewan was rescued last week after chopping down four power poles — knocking out electricity to surrounding communities.”
“The man reported he had been on a boat on the lake when he hit bad weather. He ended up stranded in the bush, with no way to communicate with the outside world.”
“But he had an axe and he knew [the electricity company] would have to check the downed line, so he went to work.”
Source: CBC News
Enjoy this lateral thinking puzzle based on a true story?
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