A good friend and I were taking off from my dad’s remote cabin property in Eastern Oregon in my Super Cub, a small aircraft. The conditions were working against us, wind, patches of snow, and muddy, slippery ground. Combined with my own mistake and a quartering tailwind, I lost control during the takeoff roll.

The airplane swung downhill on the fairly steep hill I use as a runway and continued into a left turn, developing into a ground loop. It all happened in seconds. I couldn’t get the airplane straight before we slammed into a large juniper tree at roughly 40 mph.

The impact was violent. The fuel tank ruptured, gasoline spilling everywhere, and we knew we had to get out immediately. The door was jammed tight against the tree, leaving only one option. We climbed out through the side window, moving as fast as we could. A large limb had come through that same window, striking my friend in the face. He was clearly hurt and complaining of pain in other parts of his body. With no supplies beyond what we had on hand, we packed snow and ice onto his face and tried to keep him as stable as possible.

I tried calling for help but had no signal. The reality of how remote we were set in fast. The nearest hospital was about 70 miles away, and I had no way of knowing how serious his injuries might be. I left briefly to hike around, searching for reception, and finally managed to get a call out. That’s when I was told something I didn’t know yet: help was already on the way. My Artex ELT 345 had automatically activated after the crash and was transmitting.

With that news, everything changed. We no longer had to guess if anyone knew where we were or how to reach us. We stayed put, relieved of some stress, and waited. Before long, rescue personnel arrived, guided to our location by the ELT signal, proof that even in a place with no cell service, thanks to the appropriate technology, help can still find you when it matters most.