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01-20-2008, 09:13 AM
CRAIG HILL
Published: January 20th, 2008 01:00 AM
Updated: January 20th, 2008
With one friend nursing a head injury, two others on the verge of hypothermia and his entire hiking party trapped between two flooded creeks on the Olympic Coast, Jason Perkizas knew it was time to supplement his outdoor skills with the technological gadget in his backpack.
While crossing a swollen, waste-deep creek linked arm-in-arm 45 minutes earlier, one member of the Sammamish teen’s party had slipped and pulled two others underwater. One of the college students hit his head on a rock, and most of the group’s gear was soaked. As the temperatures dipped below 40 degrees Perkizas knew the situation was grave.
From his pack, Perkizas pulled a personal locator beacon he had rented before the six-day trek on Third Beach. He flipped up the antenna and pushed a button, and a distress signal along with his GPS coordinates were relayed via satellite to the Coast Guard.
Three hours later a helicopter was hovering over Strawberry Bay and dropping a note explaining that Olympic National Park rescue rangers were on their way.
Two years after this incident, Perkizas, now a 21-year-old University of Washington student, would like to see personal locator beacons required for all backcountry adventures.
“It’s something that can save your life,” Perkizas said. “It’s something you’re going to wish you had if you ever need it.”
While many accomplished rescuers praise PLBs, they believe requiring hikers to carry the $550-$750 devices is dangerous.
“For some people, PLBs could become a teddy bear – a false sense of security,” said Gus Bush of Tacoma Mountain Rescue. “Thinking they just have to push a button to be rescued could lead to some people taking chances they might not otherwise. … If you are heading into the backcountry, you need to be self-reliant. There is no substitute for having the skills to take care of yourself.”
This debate raged in Oregon in late 2006 after three climbers were lost in severe weather on the north side of Mount Hood. All three men died while rescuers spent 12 days searching; only one body has been found. The state Legislature unsuccessfully tried to pass a law requiring PLBs on Mount Hood. Portland Mountain Rescue lobbied against the law.
When rescuers spent a week searching for three missing snowboarders near Crystal Mountain in early December, the topic of requiring beacons surfaced again. The snowboarders haven’t been found, and rescuers believe they were buried in an avalanche. Personal locator beacons, which work differently than avalanche beacons, aren’t useful in many avalanche scenarios because most victims won’t be able to activate the device – and even if they could, rescuers most likely couldn’t respond in time.
“We think PLBs are important and valuable,” said Charley Shimanski of the Mountain Rescue Association. “We just don’t support mandating them. … If you require them, people will think they are going to save their lives.
SAME ARGUMENTS ON MOUNTAINS
Mount Hood National Forest officials encourage climbers on Oregon’s tallest peak to rent a radio-based mountain locator unit for $5. The predecessor to the PLB sends a signal that can be homed in on from 20 miles away.
Unlike the modern device, the radio unit doesn’t signal rescue workers to start searching. Searches are initiated when climbers are overdue, said Rocky Henderson of Portland Mountain Rescue.
When Mount Hood climbers were first encouraged to carry MLUs 20 years ago, Portland Mountain Rescue members had the same concerns as they do with the modern device.
Last year, three climbers got socked in on the south side of Mount Hood when they were surprised by a storm.
“I can’t read their minds, but I wonder if they would have turned around sooner if they didn’t have an MLU,” Henderson said. “They might have thought, ‘If we get in trouble we’ll just pull the trigger and somebody will rescue us.’
“That’s the concern we have about requiring PLBs. We don’t want people to have a false sense of security. Even if you have a PLB, we might not be able to get to you.”
Chris Wahler of ACR Electronics, North America’s leading locator beacon manufacturer, disagrees. “People don’t buy airbags for their car so they can drive more recklessly,” he said. “They buy them because they are trying to use common sense. The quickest way to get rescued is to let people know where you are.”
Personal locator beacons are credited with helping save 88 people in 2007 and 37 in 2006, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Climbing guides on Mount Rainier carry radios and cell phones but don’t use personal locator beacons. Because they guide on an established, well-traveled route, the guides consider PLBs unnecessary.
However, Eric Simonson of International Mountain Guides carries a PLB when he’s out on his own. “I hike a lot by myself and if I break a leg, I want to be able to let people know where I am.”
EXPENSE A FACTOR
Personal locator beacons are expensive. Florida-based ACR Electronics’ most affordable version is $550.
“They are expensive for something people hope they’ll never use,” said Perkizas, who was given a PLB by ACR after his rescue. “I think that’s why more people don’t use them.”
Several companies are trying to make the devices more affordable. Mukilteo-based PLBrentals.com rents beacons for as little as $59 per week.
California-based Spot Inc. makes a $150 model that requires a $99-per-year subscription. The Spot Personal Satellite Tracker has more options than ACR’s devices, but uses Globalstar’s private satellites and does not notify rescuers directly.
The Spot PLB allows users to transmit GPS coordinates so friends and family can track them online. Users can also send preprogrammed e-mails to a predetermined list of people. The device can also send a distress signal that notifies Spot Inc. to contact rescuers.
Mountain rescue units around the country are giving poor reviews to the Australia-based TracMe Beacon. The device is marketed as a personal locator beacon, but it simply transmits a distress signal on the radio emergency channel, said Bush of Tacoma Mountain Rescue. The device does not signal authorities to start a search like a true PLB.
OTHER FORMS OF BACKUP
Even if hikers choose to carry a personal locator beacon, it’s not a replacement for traditional outdoor skills and safety.
Bush says in addition to the 10 essentials – map, compass, flashlight, extra food and clothes, sunglasses, first-aid kit, pocket knife, waterproof matches and fire starter – hikers should tell somebody specific details of where they are going and when they plan to return. It’s also a good idea to take a partner and cell phone, he said.
“And don’t expect to be rescued,” Henderson said. “Be prepared to take care of yourself.”
A whistle is also a good way to send a short-range distress signal.
“A PLB should be just one tool in your tool box,” said Tacoma Mountain Rescue’s Fran Sharp, president of the national Mountain Rescue Association. “And the best tool you have is your brain.”
Craig Hill: 253-597-8497
blogs.thenewstribune.com/adventure
The Federal Communications Commission first allowed the use of personal locator beacons on its satellite system in July 2003. The devices are still new enough to create some confusion.
When The News Tribune called local outfitters earlier this month to rent a PLB, salespeople at two companies thought the devices were the same as avalanche beacons.
In fact, aside from both being about the size of a disposable camera, they couldn’t be more different. A group of college students found this out Dec. 28 when one of them activated a personal locator beacon to test it with their avalanche beacons at a Bozeman, Mont., hotel. To their surprise, not only did the devices not interact, but the local sheriff assembled a 28-man team to rescue them.
Avalanche beacons’ signal strength is measured in feet. PLBs communicate with satellites, and the penalty for an intentional false alarm can be a fine or jail time, said Chris Wahler of ACR Electronics, a company that specializes in locator beacons.
Avalanche beacons are for people in your party or a nearby party to locate you and dig you out of an avalanche. Avalanche victims have about 10 minutes to be dug out before they suffocate.
A locator beacon will signal a full-scale taxpayer-funded rescue team – local sheriff, Coast Guard, park service or even the Air Force – that could take hours or, if weather is poor, days to arrive.
Avalanche beacons continually transmit signals once they are strapped around your chest. A locator beacon has to be activated.
Avalanche beacons can transmit when buried under snow. PLBs cannot.
“PLBs aren’t very useful in an avalanche unless you are shot out the side and break your leg and need help,” said Tacoma Mountain Rescue’s Fran Sharp, president of the national Mountain Rescue Association. “But if you use it to call for help to rescue your friends, by the time we get there, the only thing we’ll be able to do is help you look for the bodies.”
from: http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/story/260128.html
Published: January 20th, 2008 01:00 AM
Updated: January 20th, 2008
With one friend nursing a head injury, two others on the verge of hypothermia and his entire hiking party trapped between two flooded creeks on the Olympic Coast, Jason Perkizas knew it was time to supplement his outdoor skills with the technological gadget in his backpack.
While crossing a swollen, waste-deep creek linked arm-in-arm 45 minutes earlier, one member of the Sammamish teen’s party had slipped and pulled two others underwater. One of the college students hit his head on a rock, and most of the group’s gear was soaked. As the temperatures dipped below 40 degrees Perkizas knew the situation was grave.
From his pack, Perkizas pulled a personal locator beacon he had rented before the six-day trek on Third Beach. He flipped up the antenna and pushed a button, and a distress signal along with his GPS coordinates were relayed via satellite to the Coast Guard.
Three hours later a helicopter was hovering over Strawberry Bay and dropping a note explaining that Olympic National Park rescue rangers were on their way.
Two years after this incident, Perkizas, now a 21-year-old University of Washington student, would like to see personal locator beacons required for all backcountry adventures.
“It’s something that can save your life,” Perkizas said. “It’s something you’re going to wish you had if you ever need it.”
While many accomplished rescuers praise PLBs, they believe requiring hikers to carry the $550-$750 devices is dangerous.
“For some people, PLBs could become a teddy bear – a false sense of security,” said Gus Bush of Tacoma Mountain Rescue. “Thinking they just have to push a button to be rescued could lead to some people taking chances they might not otherwise. … If you are heading into the backcountry, you need to be self-reliant. There is no substitute for having the skills to take care of yourself.”
This debate raged in Oregon in late 2006 after three climbers were lost in severe weather on the north side of Mount Hood. All three men died while rescuers spent 12 days searching; only one body has been found. The state Legislature unsuccessfully tried to pass a law requiring PLBs on Mount Hood. Portland Mountain Rescue lobbied against the law.
When rescuers spent a week searching for three missing snowboarders near Crystal Mountain in early December, the topic of requiring beacons surfaced again. The snowboarders haven’t been found, and rescuers believe they were buried in an avalanche. Personal locator beacons, which work differently than avalanche beacons, aren’t useful in many avalanche scenarios because most victims won’t be able to activate the device – and even if they could, rescuers most likely couldn’t respond in time.
“We think PLBs are important and valuable,” said Charley Shimanski of the Mountain Rescue Association. “We just don’t support mandating them. … If you require them, people will think they are going to save their lives.
SAME ARGUMENTS ON MOUNTAINS
Mount Hood National Forest officials encourage climbers on Oregon’s tallest peak to rent a radio-based mountain locator unit for $5. The predecessor to the PLB sends a signal that can be homed in on from 20 miles away.
Unlike the modern device, the radio unit doesn’t signal rescue workers to start searching. Searches are initiated when climbers are overdue, said Rocky Henderson of Portland Mountain Rescue.
When Mount Hood climbers were first encouraged to carry MLUs 20 years ago, Portland Mountain Rescue members had the same concerns as they do with the modern device.
Last year, three climbers got socked in on the south side of Mount Hood when they were surprised by a storm.
“I can’t read their minds, but I wonder if they would have turned around sooner if they didn’t have an MLU,” Henderson said. “They might have thought, ‘If we get in trouble we’ll just pull the trigger and somebody will rescue us.’
“That’s the concern we have about requiring PLBs. We don’t want people to have a false sense of security. Even if you have a PLB, we might not be able to get to you.”
Chris Wahler of ACR Electronics, North America’s leading locator beacon manufacturer, disagrees. “People don’t buy airbags for their car so they can drive more recklessly,” he said. “They buy them because they are trying to use common sense. The quickest way to get rescued is to let people know where you are.”
Personal locator beacons are credited with helping save 88 people in 2007 and 37 in 2006, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Climbing guides on Mount Rainier carry radios and cell phones but don’t use personal locator beacons. Because they guide on an established, well-traveled route, the guides consider PLBs unnecessary.
However, Eric Simonson of International Mountain Guides carries a PLB when he’s out on his own. “I hike a lot by myself and if I break a leg, I want to be able to let people know where I am.”
EXPENSE A FACTOR
Personal locator beacons are expensive. Florida-based ACR Electronics’ most affordable version is $550.
“They are expensive for something people hope they’ll never use,” said Perkizas, who was given a PLB by ACR after his rescue. “I think that’s why more people don’t use them.”
Several companies are trying to make the devices more affordable. Mukilteo-based PLBrentals.com rents beacons for as little as $59 per week.
California-based Spot Inc. makes a $150 model that requires a $99-per-year subscription. The Spot Personal Satellite Tracker has more options than ACR’s devices, but uses Globalstar’s private satellites and does not notify rescuers directly.
The Spot PLB allows users to transmit GPS coordinates so friends and family can track them online. Users can also send preprogrammed e-mails to a predetermined list of people. The device can also send a distress signal that notifies Spot Inc. to contact rescuers.
Mountain rescue units around the country are giving poor reviews to the Australia-based TracMe Beacon. The device is marketed as a personal locator beacon, but it simply transmits a distress signal on the radio emergency channel, said Bush of Tacoma Mountain Rescue. The device does not signal authorities to start a search like a true PLB.
OTHER FORMS OF BACKUP
Even if hikers choose to carry a personal locator beacon, it’s not a replacement for traditional outdoor skills and safety.
Bush says in addition to the 10 essentials – map, compass, flashlight, extra food and clothes, sunglasses, first-aid kit, pocket knife, waterproof matches and fire starter – hikers should tell somebody specific details of where they are going and when they plan to return. It’s also a good idea to take a partner and cell phone, he said.
“And don’t expect to be rescued,” Henderson said. “Be prepared to take care of yourself.”
A whistle is also a good way to send a short-range distress signal.
“A PLB should be just one tool in your tool box,” said Tacoma Mountain Rescue’s Fran Sharp, president of the national Mountain Rescue Association. “And the best tool you have is your brain.”
Craig Hill: 253-597-8497
blogs.thenewstribune.com/adventure
The Federal Communications Commission first allowed the use of personal locator beacons on its satellite system in July 2003. The devices are still new enough to create some confusion.
When The News Tribune called local outfitters earlier this month to rent a PLB, salespeople at two companies thought the devices were the same as avalanche beacons.
In fact, aside from both being about the size of a disposable camera, they couldn’t be more different. A group of college students found this out Dec. 28 when one of them activated a personal locator beacon to test it with their avalanche beacons at a Bozeman, Mont., hotel. To their surprise, not only did the devices not interact, but the local sheriff assembled a 28-man team to rescue them.
Avalanche beacons’ signal strength is measured in feet. PLBs communicate with satellites, and the penalty for an intentional false alarm can be a fine or jail time, said Chris Wahler of ACR Electronics, a company that specializes in locator beacons.
Avalanche beacons are for people in your party or a nearby party to locate you and dig you out of an avalanche. Avalanche victims have about 10 minutes to be dug out before they suffocate.
A locator beacon will signal a full-scale taxpayer-funded rescue team – local sheriff, Coast Guard, park service or even the Air Force – that could take hours or, if weather is poor, days to arrive.
Avalanche beacons continually transmit signals once they are strapped around your chest. A locator beacon has to be activated.
Avalanche beacons can transmit when buried under snow. PLBs cannot.
“PLBs aren’t very useful in an avalanche unless you are shot out the side and break your leg and need help,” said Tacoma Mountain Rescue’s Fran Sharp, president of the national Mountain Rescue Association. “But if you use it to call for help to rescue your friends, by the time we get there, the only thing we’ll be able to do is help you look for the bodies.”
from: http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/story/260128.html