I'm a reporter at Colorado Public Radio (and a climber and MP user!) Thinking about doing a story about personal locator beacons. The other day, some boys in Alaska were mauled by a grizzly. They were rescued quickly in remote wilderness because they pushed on a button on a personal locator beacon. That sent a distress signal to search and rescue officials.

I'm looking for stories about these satellite messengers being used in Colorado. Particulary interested in hearing from SAR folks. Wondering if there are cases where people send false alarms, or are too quick to ask for a rescue. If you own one, why did you buy it? What's your experience?

Thanks all - please respond here or directly to me at zbarr@cpr.org

Zac

Make sure you differentiate between personal locator beacons and satellite messengers, they have similar purposes but completely different technology.

I'm not SAR but I've asked a few of them how they felt about beacons/messengers and got similar responses. The devices can definitely reduce the amount of time it takes to get help to you but they also give people a false sense of security and lead them to do unsafe things that they wouldn't normally do. They can also lead to a lot of frivolous calls. One guy told me a story about how some people activated their SPOT in the Grand Canyon because their water tasted bad...

If your hurt in the backcountry, sending out an instant emergency signal with your exact location totally sucks, better to tough it out.

there's a few publications that have recapped some of the things that have happened. The most recent I've read comes from Outside Mag:

Panic Button

I'd hit up either for CO:

Woody CSRB or Howard Paul NASAR (unless someone else wants to go with this); I don't have their public info e-mail addresses, but I think Woody610 userid works either here or 14ers site.


One new thing (thankfully & finally) getting implemented is two-way texting ability that goes along with the PLB:

www.delorme.com/about/pressreleases/inreach.htm

Good article Mark. Also that new delorme messenger looks awesome. Maybe I'll be replacing my first gen spot when that comes out.

I can't think of any good reason for them.

People have been doing hard core stuff or not so hard core, for some time with out them and been mostly fine. we go to the wilderness to learn things about ourselves, having that back up defeats the idea of wilderness.



i am pretty sure that group who got attacked was also a NOLS group.

Mark: So Outside Magazine beat me to it; looks like a good story. Rats. I'm talking to Howard Paul, but not Woody -- thanks for that tip. Those guys are sure to know a lot about this.

I just read one interesting opinion on these devices: one writer says in towns and cities if we see someone hurt, we have a moral obligation to call for help. Everyone agrees on that. So what's the difference in the backcountry? He predicts carrying these satellite messengers will become routine

Tyson: if you know any SAR with great stories to tell (especially the false alarm type) please help me get in touch with them.

Lou Dawson's discussion about PLBs here...
www.wildsnow.com/2323/plb-rescue-beacon-acr/

After some jackass (yes jackass) created several false searches for Colorado SAR by using his PLB as an avalanche beacon, I'd be willing to guess CO SAR groups are less than stoked on them.

Denver Post article...
Rescue group finds ignorant beacon owner who triggered false alarms
www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_14501974


From what I understand, most of the problems associated with PLBs come from the unanticipated, additional level of security they inadvertently provide for some people while in the mountains. When it comes time to make a big decision, that little device in their backpack helps them tilt their decision towards the decision with more associated risk. Which inadvertently puts more of the device carriers into the type of situation they don't want to be in in the first place. But who cares, I've got this little box with me and I'll be okay, right?? (this last statement was a joke)

Anyone can go buy one and anyone can use one and that's a large part of them problem.
FWIW... I've heard from at least one SAR group that the PLB calls automatically get last priority. I'd imagine that comes from the experience that particular group has had with that type of call.

I personally don't own one, wouldn't mind having one because the ones that text are really nice to get wx forecasts and keep loved ones up to speed on your outing. And if used properly, could save your ass.

Zac, just go with your idea; not everyone reads Outside/magazines. Frankly, I listen to more public radio stuff for the variety of info and better first person interview quality than anything else.

The only down fall is that it allows people who aren't ready for the challenge to have a false sense of security. How many times has it been activated just because someone was out of their comfort zone but not in immediate danger?

A good example of using a spot is shown with the current Colorado trail mtb race...

trackleaders.com/ctr

I am not sure I agree with all the bad press PLB's get. I carry one and am very thankful to have it with me, but it in no way affects my judgement. Afterall, if your injured bad enough to need a call, you most likely need help immediately not in the 2 hours it takes for them to get to you. So its really last ditch life or death.

Remember, SAR teams get plenty of false calls from cell phones and have been dealing with that for a while. I don't think there is a big change just because PLBs are affordable. I am sure most of the false calls still come from cell phones.
You can't get rid of false calls, just like you can't rid crime. All we can do is educate.

Here's some more good info about PLBs and SPOTs with some info about avalanche beacon case. The link is from the Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, if you contact them they probably have some other stories where PLBs were used.

Here's another incident that I know of from CO where a SPOT was used correctly. This was a couple of people from the University of Colorado Hiking Club, if you contact the club they could put you in touch with people involved in the call who would probably be able to provide a good story.

I heard those things werk great as avalanche beacons, too!