I was canyoning at Jourama Falls on a beautiful day, when all of a sudden I slipped and slid down a 6 meter waterfall. During the fall, my foot caught on a ledge, resulting in a shattered tibia.

The incident happened at the last point where there was mobile reception. Despite the injury, I was still somewhat mobile, which left me facing a difficult decision. I could continue abseiling down a series of 50 meter waterfalls, attempt to swim and crawl my way out of a complex waterfall system, or activate my PLB and request a helicopter rescue.

I tried to contact authorities by phone to explain the situation, hoping that if I activated the beacon I could be treated as a lower priority. I did not want to divert resources from a more serious emergency. Unfortunately, this was not possible, as there was no clear way to coordinate that type of response.

I decided to continue on under my own effort. Moving on one foot, I found that rolling over the slabby rocks was the most effective way to make progress. After five hours, it was becoming uncomfortably close to dark, and it was clear I had made the wrong decision.

Looking back, and after speaking with the helicopter crew, it became clear that they are always willing to respond to incidents like this. It provides valuable real world training that cannot easily be replicated.

In situations like these, having a PLB provides a critical lifeline, giving you the ability to call for help when conditions change and self-rescue is no longer the safest option.