It all started on a steep, unforgiving trail in the thick of the bush, as I was climbing upwards toward an alpine ridge I had hoped to traverse that day. The terrain was harsh, and the ascent was getting steeper as I went. I had already covered about 300 meters of the 1,100 meters I needed to reach the ridge. From there, I planned to cross the ridge and descend to my car, which was roughly 22 km away. I was determined to finish the walk that day, though it was becoming increasingly unlikely as time passed\u2014especially before the injury struck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As someone who has spent 22 years in the rescue industry with organizations like the Red Cross Emergency Response Team, St John Ambulance, and more recently, New Zealand Coastguard, I\u2019ve had my share of life-or-death situations. I\u2019ve been part of saving lives and witnessed the relief on people\u2019s faces when help arrives. But in this moment, as I sat injured, I didn\u2019t know if I was going to be the one needing rescuing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I take my work in rescue seriously, and when I found myself in trouble, I spent about an hour weighing my options. I thought about ways to self-rescue, wait a few days for my leg to heal, and then continue on. The bush was too thick to pitch my tent, and I wasn\u2019t in the mood to give up just yet. Despite my training and experience, I hesitated for a long time before activating my ResQLink 400<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I kept pulling it out of the pouch, only to put it back in. My leg wasn\u2019t broken, I had plenty of food and water, and my car wasn\u2019t far. But the weather forecast had expired, and I knew if it started raining, the hill I was on would become perilously slippery and dangerous. That was when I realized: I needed help. I finally pushed the button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The moment I did, a wave of relief washed over me. But then, doubt crept in. The PLB flashed white and red, and I thought it hadn\u2019t connected to the satellite. My heart sank. I had a Garmin satellite text device with me, so I checked the satellite page, only to find that while several satellites were visible, the signal strength was low. I thought, “This is it\u2014I\u2019m stuck here.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n