PLB Set Off for Injured Biker on Old Coach Road

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PLB Set Off for Injured Biker on Old Coach Road

PLB Set Off for Injured Biker on Old Coach Road
Lives saved

1

Off-road

Off-road

Mountain

Mountain

Medical emergency

Medical emergency

Normal conditions

Normal conditions

Off-road

PLB Set Off for Injured Biker on Old Coach Road

-16.03989°S, 144.3013°E

Posted on March 22, 2023 by Kerry

What happened?

Before the Ride

We had been planning months for this trip to coincide with my partner’s 50th birthday. We packed up lunch, snacks, water, and our personal locator beacon (PLB).

The plan was to ride the Coach Road from Maytown to Laura and return. We set off mid morning. The day was warming up quick.

The Coach Road is old and not maintained; mostly used by 4×4 drivers and dirt bike riders. We were just about at the top of the first big hill of the track when my partner had come off her bike.

Getting Injured and Using PLB

She was climbing over some rough ground and got out of sorts. She had got a case of whiskey throttle and looped the bike out, landing badly on her left leg.

Recognizing immediately that Kerry had broken her leg, her son and I started to plan her evacuation. Within 15 minutes of the accident occurring, another group of riders had arrived at the site.

A couple of the riders helped with providing first aid to Kerry. Another rider had a sat phone and was calling emergency services. Emergency services were having difficulty locating us.

Search and Rescue Aids in Recovery

We then set off the Personal Locator Beacon providing the emergency services with an immediate and accurate location of us. Within an hour of setting off the PLB the rescue helicopter was on site.

The PLB was not set off immediately as we were in a very remote location with no mobile phone coverage and one rescue chopper for the region. This caused some concern with the unknown of whether we had an hour or 10 hours before rescue services could help.

Once communication through the sat phone had occurred the PLB was set off.

The PLB was an integral part in the speedy rescue of my partner. If I’m on an adventure, my personal locator beacon is with me!

Words of wisdom

Don’t leave home without your PLB!

Thank you note

Thank you team for such a compact, effect rescue tool.

Rescue location

Maytown, Palmer QLD 4892, Australia

Rescue team

Local Search and Rescue

ResQLink™ 400

Go to product details

$369.95

Small but resilient, the ResQLink 400 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 and can be utilized to enhance your safety in a wide variety of environments. Whether on land, at sea, or in the air, trust that the ResQLink’s satellite precision and military durability, put rescue in the palm of your hands.

 

Features and Benefits:

  • No Subscription Required
  • GPS and Galileo GNSS
  • Built-In Buoyancy
  • Strobe and Infrared Strobe
  • Global Coverage
  • MEOSAR Compatible
  • Small and lightweight
  • 5-year battery life
  • 24+ hours Operational Life**
  • Multi-function Clip System Included
**Based on test report from an accredited laboratory   WARNING: PROP 65   
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ResQLink™ 400 saves lives

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