"Wild" is a behavioral trait. If someone has a "wild child" then they are acting crazy, not necessarily a feral child roaming the streets and without proper care.
The story is a good lesson for the dangers of familiarity. Dude has probable been there a 100 times and thought nothing ever happens, today won't be any different. Same thing happens in the wheeling world too: I made this trail or obstacle a dozen times before, no need to buckle up or think about the line