I thought the same thing, but the article closes saying he had trouble communicating from not having done so for so long. Not sure how they determined that, but presuming it's true, then maybe he was truly alone.
It is difficult to determine whether he was alone in a 'Wilson' Cast Away sense or if he was alone while watching others do their activities and stealing from them to support his necessities.
These two environmental conditions can have varying impacts on a person's mind.
He stole food and propane tanks from the vacation homes in the area. When he was eventually caught and put in jail for all of the theft people remarked at his strange use of language. They claimed he talked like a book.
