Lost and Exhausted Hiker Activates Their PLB

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Lost and Exhausted Hiker Activates Their PLB

Lost and Exhausted Hiker Activates Their PLB
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Normal conditions

Hiking

Lost and Exhausted Hiker Activates Their PLB

-41.5516666°S, 172.5408333°E

Posted on February 22, 2023 by Emily Thompson

What happened?

I was on a mountain adventure by myself tackling a pretty challenging summit Mount Owen, Nelson. When I got to the hut, I left everything behind apart from my safety gear (including my personal locator beacon), water, and a light jacket. I went to do the last four hour push at about 3pm.

I nailed the steep climb up to the summit by 5pm. Excited, though a bit tired after 10 hours, started walking down what I thought was the right track. It was marked by rock towers..

The Rock Towers

I should have been using a map as well.. but hindsight comes to us all.

The clouds came down and visibility became a little tough.. I realized I wasn’t where I was meant to be about 15 minutes in and tried to back track but couldn’t see any way back that I recognized.

Deciding to try to get a better look so I hit ridge after ridge until 3 hours had past of me trying when I realized I was lost and not in a safe situation..

Feeling really stupid.. I knew I could keep trying but I was exhausted and starting to panic..

It was about 8pm at this stage. I decided I needed press the button on my personal locator beacon and within an hour a helicopter picked me up. They were amazing and assured me I had done the right thing and at the right time. I was so thankful I had the PLB with me… It would have been very different without it! 

Words of wisdom

Value your life enough to be prepared. Have what you need with you at all times because you never know! Things happen even to the experienced outdoor adventurers.

Thank you note

Thank you so much for creating amazing products to give us better adventures and that keep us safe!

Rescue location

Mount Owen, Tasman 7077, New Zealand

Rescue team

Local Search and Rescue

ResQLink™ 400

Go to product details

$379.95$429.95

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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