
Lives saved
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
ResQLink™ View Personal Locator Beacon
Go to product details$464.95 – $713.95
Small but resilient, the ResQLink View 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 includes a digital display providing live status and GPS coordinates. 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.
**Based on test report from an accredited laboratory WARNING: PROP 65

