Personal Locator Beacon Used in Flood Zone

Home

/

Survivor Stories

/

Personal Locator Beacon Used in Flood Zone

Personal Locator Beacon Used in Flood Zone
Lives saved

1

Hiking

Hiking

River

River

Weather

Weather

Flood

Flood

Hiking

Personal Locator Beacon Used in Flood Zone

-42.323914114556°S, 173.55927606735°E

Posted on March 13, 2023 by Ryan

What happened?

A Real Life Story from Survivor, Ryan, who was rescued by an ACR ResQLink 400 Personal Locator Beacon:

Before Using the Personal Locator Beacon

I was on the last day of an awesome solo 3 day tramp in the seaward Kaikōura’s. This is in the South Island of New Zealand. I stayed the night at Kōwhai Hut. My plan was to walk out along the Kōwhai river back to my car (only 2-3 hours).

There had been some rain overnight (as forecast). And there was light drizzle as I set off from the hut at 9am.

I noticed the river was slightly brown as I walked along a track beside it for the first 50 minutes. I passed the turnoff to Spaniard Spur track that climbs out of the river valley. Carrying on down the riverbed, eventually having to cross the river as the valley started to narrow. I had never been in this area before so I didn’t know how high the river/s flowed normally, but I did notice that the river seemed fairly swift.

At this point, I should have stopped and reconsidered my options of turning back and going up Spaniard Spur but I foolishly carried on. I have done a lot of trail running, including many river crossings so I am comfortable and confident with them, but I think that this actually worked against me as my risk tolerance was set far too high given I had a much heavier pack on my back that day. Which caused me to need my personal locator beacon.

Getting Stuck

As I got further down the river, the valley became very narrow and due to the contributories feeding into it, plus steady rain, the river got higher. However, by now, I had decided that if I could get to the point where the valley opened up again, I would be okay, so I kept pushing forward.

At a fork in the river, it took two tries and a couple of dunkings just to cross part of the current. After bush-bashing across the riverbend, I had to cross the full river again—with no good spots in sight.

After 30 minutes of debating whether to wait it out. I got myself stuck and grew increasingly frustrated. With more rain coming and no safe options, I finally decided to activate the Personal Locator Beacon.

Calling for Help

I pushed the distress button at 10:40am, and by 11:30 I could hear the chopper overhead. The two friendly Helicopter operators gave me a quick ride, only about 3 km down the river, and dropped my wet and bedraggled self in a paddock near my car. 

It was a straightforward rescue, but I was deeply grateful. I learned a lot and will be more cautious next time.

A massive thank you to ACR, and everyone involved in search and rescue for being the safety backup when things don’t go to plan.

Words of wisdom

When entering the outdoors, always be prepared with the gear, knowledge, and experience required for when things don’t go to plan.

Thank you note

Thank you to the team at ACR for providing products and technology that save lives

Rescue location

MHG5+CP Kaikōura, Canterbury, New Zealand

Rescue team

Local Search and Rescue

ResQLink™ 400 Personal Locator Beacon

Go to product details

$404.95$624.95

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 
Clear
Find a dealer
Trust badge logo Trust badge logo Trust badge logo

ResQLink™ 400 Personal Locator Beacon saves lives

Survivor Stories

Emergency in the Wild: A Cougar Standoff and Rescue

We immediately grabbed our bear spray and knives and took up a defensive position and attempted to get a visual on the animal.

Read Full Story

Navigating a Backcountry Injury: LCL Tear and Emergency Response in NZ Wilderness

"As I tried to navigate my way carefully down this challenging part of the track, I lost my footing on the wet rock. In an instant, I slipped and fell roughly two meters down..."

Read Full Story