Strange incident in the woods

[Livelaughlovesigns]

It’s still playing on my mind and was just really odd.

Today, Dh and I took Dd, 5 and our dog in the woods/fields by our home. All was fine and we were heading back home, I was walking ahead keeping track of our dog and Dh was with Dd (she walks slowly, wants to stop to play/have adventures etc)
I saw a person walking behind Dh who was swaying from side to side and just seemed very odd, I felt a bit strange and started to call to Dd to run to me (as in a game-run as fast as you can/who’s the winner type thing) Dh had also noticed and started to walk more quickly, he then picked her up and started to hurry to me and we got to an open part where there were houses and cars. Dd was getting upset and shouting about why he picked her up etc and we were watching this person in the distance acting so strangely, staggering everywhere and then suddenly running.
A man came up talking on his phone (Russian I think and looking around everywhere) Dh asked him if he was looking for someone, the man didn’t speak English, so Dh started motioning towards the woods where the person had ran ( Dh says it was a woman)
Dh then went with the man to show him where she was and Dh said he saw this man find her
We explained to Dd, without trying to scare her.
As we were walking back we were discussing it and saying why did we try to run away, why didn’t we try to help them.
It was just a really really odd situation, we in these woods almost daily, nothing ever happens.

I keep wondering about this woman and what on earth had happened to her, Dh thinks she may have been drunk because of New year and wandered back and lost her way (the woods are next to the beach)

Would you have done the same thing? My initial feeling was fear and to get dd away

Everyone is confused here

I guess she wasn’t expecting to be bullied concerning minute detail.

Those are quite important details to be fair

Not when you’re on a casual internet forum.

This is far from a casual topic

Can you link to the Mumsnet rule book on detail etiquette?

OP is your child called Didi perhaps? 🤔

I thought that too

Aw, it’s hard when people disagree with you. I get it.

I'm grateful for everyone's messages, and I'm absolutely fine now. I'm sorry if derailed the thread - I know it's not all about me!

It took me a further 7 hideous years to escape. I knew the drill - act 'normal' in front of people, and never ever tell anyone what was going on. Outward appearances were the most important thing. Ex-h must be seen as charm personified at all times.
It's survival mode.

To bring it back to the Op, I am genuinely trying to understand why two adults ran away from someone who, for whatever reason, quite clearly needed some help.
Maybe/very possibly my compass is totally off but, even if I had my DCs with me, I would definitely try to assist someone who was obviously not ok.
Whether it's being mortal drunk, unwell, taking a hypo, scared, distressed, having a mental health episode - I would stop and ask if I could help with anything, did they need to use my phone or whatever.
Because of my own experience, I would never in a million years direct an unknown man to the whereabouts of a vulnerable woman in the woods. That blows my mind.

So you should. There's nobody agreeing with you on this thread.

I think people are swayed by the idea that the man was russian. I bet if it was a Brit nobody would be panicking. Russian so must be dodgy.

It’s quite odd that you thought a man stumbling about in the woods might not also need some help - maybe kept an eye on him and called the police if necessary.

very odd all round

@JockTamsonsBairns im so sorry that happened to, I’m glad you are now safe.

I’ve done the same many times, escape and then have to act happy and pleased when you’re caught or things will be worse.

This. Absolutely. She could have been drugged and got away from someone who was now trying to find her! You should have called the police and tried to stay nearby and stayed until they arrived. There's no way I'd let a random man take away an inebriated /drugged/vulnerable woman.

How do you know that the man was searching for the 'strange woman'?

Bizarre post.

I'm sorry you understand too 😔

Are the bars and houses at the end of the beach/woods/middle of nowhere in the room with us?

Wow. The hysteria on this thread is off the scale. Not to mention the nastiness oozing from you all. (Not you OP).

@Zonder agreed! A lot of posters seem to be unable to comprehend that something's surpass language so not speaking fluent Russian doesn't mean you'd have no idea what was going on.

Don't be ridiculous. Leading a random man to the location of a distressed woman is a poor choice whatever the language.

I’d trust a Russian over a Brit I think but no I think calling the police or ambulance and saying there’s a distressed / drunk / whatever person in the woods that could use some help would have been my go to. Having never been in that situation though I don’t know 🤷‍♀️

Explain to the police 🚔 next 🤔 step ok simple thing to do,

@Livelaughlovesigns i know you mentioned a local
WhatsApp group, but do you have a local Facebook page that you could enquire on? The people in question might see your post of concern and contact you.