Backcountry Campers Assist in Dramatic Late-Night Rescue in Banff

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Backcountry Campers Assist in Dramatic Late-Night Rescue in Banff

Backcountry Campers Assist in Dramatic Late-Night Rescue in Banff
Lives saved

1

Hiking

Hiking

Mountain

Mountain

Medical emergency

Medical emergency

Challenging Terrain

Challenging Terrain

Hiking

Backcountry Campers Assist in Dramatic Late-Night Rescue in Banff

51.282687237951°N, -115.73440569021°W

Posted on July 9, 2024 by Ben

What happened?

My fiancé, dog, and I were on a 2-night backcountry camping trip in Banff National Park in June. We were about 17 km in from the trailhead at our campsite on the second night. Oddly, we were the only ones there despite the campsite being fully booked. We decided to go to bed early around 9:30 PM since we had to hike the entire way out the next day.

We were woken up about an hour later by two guys in their early 20s yelling for help and calling it an emergency. They were part of a group of seven hiking towards this campsite via an alternative route through a mountain pass that still had thigh-deep snow. One of their group members had dislocated his knee up on the pass, and these two guys had run ahead for over an hour to get help. We decided the situation warranted the use of Search and Rescue (S&R) services, so I pulled out the ResQLink VIEW RLS and activated it in a small clearing near the campsite.

The two guys were wet, still in shorts, and did not have any food or shelter since they left everything back with their group to get help. Knowing that S&R would likely not fly out until morning light, we gave the guys some food, started a fire, gave them whatever layers we could, and let them sleep in our tent for the night. It was tight with four people and a dog in a three-person tent, but we made it work.

In the morning, we woke up to the sound of the helicopter arriving. We provided S&R with the details before they took off to find the rest of the group. Apparently, the person with the dislocated knee had managed to pop it back into place, and the group had tried to continue through the pain and into the night until 2 AM before calling it quits and setting up camp at the bottom of the pass. Rescue services airlifted the injured party member and one other group member to the hospital, while the rest of the group had to walk out.

Everyone ended up safe at the end of the day, and it was a good reminder of the importance of being prepared and knowing protocols in the backcountry—not just for yourself, but for helping others as well.

Words of wisdom

Carrying an emergency beacon is not only to the benefit of your party, but also comes in handy when other less prepared adventurers are in need of help.

Thank you note

You’ve created a great product that does exactly what it needs to. The S&R person that arrived even made a comment on how well the beacon worked.

Rescue location

77M8+36 Massive, AB, Canada

Rescue team

Good Samaritan

ResQLink™ View RLS

Go to product details

$484.95$614.95

Small but resilient, the ResQLink View RLS has been professionally engineered and tested to ensure it can withstand even the harshest elements. This buoyant Personal Locator Beacon requires no subscription for use, boasts a digital display providing live status updates, and with the inclusion of the new Return Link Service (RLS) feature, this ACR beacon provides you with the comfort in knowing that your distress message has been received and your location detected.   Features and Benefits:
  • No Subscription Required
  • Digital Display
  • Return Link Service (RLS) Functionality
  • GPS | Galileo GNSS
  • Built-In Buoyancy
  • Strobe and Infrared Strobe
  • Global Coverage
  • MEOSAR Compatible
  • Small and lightweight
  • 5 year battery life
  • 28 hours Operational Life**
  • Multifunction Clip System Included
  • Exclusive ACR Skins included with purchase (customize your beacon and tailor it to your lifestyle and preferred activities)
**Based on test report from accredited laboratory   WARNING: PROP 65
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