If true, that's pretty horrible indeed.

On the other hand, emergency operators are people like everyone else. It's not exactly the most attractive or lucrative job. I assume it's not that pleasant either, especially if you're overburdened with phone calls, many of which turn out to be pranks or plain dumb.

It's amazing how often emergency responders get called for something that is supposedly a real emergency only to find out it's just a matter of a little old lady dropping her keys into the sewer or having her cat run up a tree. Things like that get old really fast and tie up resources so people in a genuine emergency might not get help in time.

I suppose when making an emergency call it's critically important to be able to speak clearly despite the adrenaline rush, as bad as the situation might be. I know it's hard, I've been in the same situation before. But you really have to calm down and let the emergency responders know what exactly is going on. Also, being able to give your location is a major factor. Asking for a street number when you're out in the bush is of course ridiculous. But on the other hand, you have to do better than just telling the operator you're stranded out in the middle of nowhere.

Anyway, I wouldn't make any hasty judgement in this case but it sounds like the unfortunate young man panicked. The bottom line is, anyone going out into the wilderness is for the most part responsible for their own safety. Even with a PLB and cellphone you can't trust them with your life. There's no guarantee you'll be able to call assistance if something goes wrong. If that's too much for you to handle then you really have no business going out on your own IMHO.