My husband Tom had been growing more ill the previous 4 days of hiking in the high northern Wind Rivers.  He thought he could weather the stomach problems but by evening of day 6 he was so weak he couldn’t stand up.  We still had 3 more days to hike extremely rugged, trail-less terrain.  I am an EMT and recognized severe dehydration and lack of nutrition.  I was very worried I’d lose him if we continued.  So I fired off the beacon I’ve carried for 9 years and never used.  It was nearing dark but we thought there was time for a helicopter to get to us.

All night long I begged for help to arrive.  I didn’t know if the old beacon was working. Before daylight, around 7 am, we heard the distant sounds of a helicopter.  I jumped out of the tent with utter relief and waved my bright red sleeping bag as they soared over the ridge.  The pilot said he could’ve landed right on the beacon if it were in a wide enough area.  The 4 rescuers from TipTop Search and Rescue quickly assessed Tom’s condition and decided to fly me and our gear to the trailhead and then Tom to the Pinedale WY Clinic.  We later moved Tom to Univ. of Utah Hospital for help diagnosing what the infection was.  Tom is recovering now.

Seeing that “bird” flying right at us was one of the best moments of my life.  I’ve helped load patients for helicopter transport as an EMT, but this was totally different.  I was trying to save my dear husband of 31 years.  The ACR beacon totally came through.