Vidas salvadas
1
Hiking
Mountain
Medical emergency
Normal conditions
PLB Saved Marathon Runner from Deadly Fall
-44.1757941°S, 169.3180004°E
Posted on February 1, 2023 by Virginia Pile
What happened?
ACR ResQLink View PLB: The Christmas present that saved my life!
On a ultra marathon training run with my sister at Cameron Track on January the 4th. I slipped on a wet rock and fell nearly 10 meters down a cliff.
It felt like it happened in slow motion, but there was absolutely no stopping it. There was nothing to grab onto or slow down with.
I can still vividly hear the sheer panic in my sister’s voice as I free-fell down the cliff. I’ll never forget her words: “You were like a bag of potatoes.” It all happened so fast—I landed hard on a sharp rock, then bounced onto another one, feeling the pain shoot through my body as I thought to myself, This is how it all ends.
In the chaos of the moment, I realized how fortunate I was to have my ResQLink PLB with me. My sister, still in a state of shock but quick to act, activated it. Within moments, help was on the way. A helicopter swooped in, airlifting me off the side of the cliff, and transported me to Dunedin Hospital. I spent a week there, recovering from the fall and reflecting on just how close I had come to disaster.
I feel incredibly lucky to have walked away from that experience, to be able to tell my story, and to still be here writing this today. But deep down, I know that if it hadn’t been for the ACR PLB, I might not be here at all. It was the beacon that saved my life, and without it, there’s no telling how this story would have ended.
IF YOU HAVE A LOVED ONE THAT IS ADVENTUROUS THE BEST POSSIBLE GIFT YOU CAN GET THEM IS A PLB, they really do save lives!!!!
Words of wisdom
- Always tell people of your plans
Thank you note
- Huge thanks to the team at ACR. With the accurate location it meant the rescue team could find me promptly
Rescue location
Cameron Valley Track, Otago 9382, New Zealand
Rescue team
Local Search and Rescue