Gulf of Mexico, Florida, USA

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Gulf of Mexico, Florida, USA

Gulf of Mexico, Florida, USA
Lives saved

3

Boating

Boating

Ocean

Ocean

Medical emergency

Medical emergency

Boating

Gulf of Mexico, Florida, USA

29.3323748°N, -83.1566753°W

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Marybeth

What happened?

The three of us, my mother, brother and myself, went out on a gorgeous day to do some spearfishing and SCUBA diving. We ventured out 70 miles from our home port. We did a few dives and all went well. During the third dive of the day, my mother had an equipment failure of her SCUBA gear – resulting in an ascent to the surface that was much too fast. As a result, she got the bends.

My mother was visually in distress. I realized that we were 2-3 hours from land and that she was in need of immediate medical attention so I pulled out my PLB and hit the button. We began heading back to the nearest port, which was not our home port. When we got VHF signal and began communicating with US Coast Guard, they had received my distress signal. Coast Guard had all of my credentials and a helicopter was already enroute. Ultimately, my mother was transported to a hospital and subsequently the hyperbaric chamber. This PLB was a lifesaver and I will not venture far offshore without it.

Words of wisdom

My words of advice are to always carry a PLB with you when you go on the boat – especially when venturing many miles offshore where you will not have VHF communication.

Thank you note

I thank the ACR team for offering a product that potentially saved the life of my mother.

Rescue location

Gulf of Mexico, Florida, USA

Rescue team

Coast Guard

ResQLink™+

Go to product details

This Product has been Upgraded. Click Here for Available Upgrade. It may be small, but it's tough. The ResQLink™+ Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is a buoyant, GPS-enabled rescue beacon that's suited for outdoor adventures of all sizes (think: everything from hiking and cycling to hunting and fishing). Should you run into an unexpected survival situation, the ResQLink+ PLB will relay your location to a network of search and rescue satellites, allowing local first responders to more easily get you home safe and sound. Be Prepared for the Unpredictable!  
  • Buoyant
  • LED strobe light
  • Self Test
  • 66 Channel GPS
  • Easy emergency activation
  • Antenna clip

WARNING: PROP 65

Out of stock

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