Survivor stories

Luck favors the prepared.
Find out how ACR enables life-saving rescues across the world.

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Hiking

Tumbling in the Ranges: A 20-Meter Fall and the Helicopter That Saved Me

Posted on November 15, 2024 by John

The impact left me battered, bruised, and disoriented. It took me nearly 30 minutes to muster the strength to drag myself off the slippery rocks and back to the track. However, it quickly became evident that I couldn’t continue; my severely sprained ankle made walking impossible. The situation was dire. The nearest road was a 2–3-day walk away, an insurmountable distance in my condition.

Hiking

Emergency Rescue on Gray Copper Trail: How a Simple Device Averted Disaster

Posted on October 18, 2024 by Catherine

Unfortunately, Catherine slipped and broke her ankle. We tried to help her hop along, but the pain was excruciating, and she couldn’t move. As rain started to fall and the clouds thickened, Catherine’s pain escalated to an 8 out of 10, and she began shivering and going into shock.

Hiking

Mt. Tambora Trek Turns Heroic After Hiker Falls and Goes Missing

Posted on September 23, 2024 by Stefan

On our way up, we ran into a distressed hiker coming down alone. He had summited with a friend named Nuril that morning, who had left for the campsite first. But when he came down after him, Nuril wasn't there. After waiting for 3 hours, he decided to trek down through the night to get cell service and call for help, so he asked us to help keep an eye out for him.

Hiking

Storm Approaches as Stranded Hikers Activate Emergency Beacon in New Zealand’s Tararua Forest Park

Posted on August 13, 2024 by Patrick

However, near the bottom of the spur, my knee gave way again, this time with intense pain, making it difficult to move. Fortunately, we had already navigated the steepest section and were close to the hut. With my friend taking on a lot of my pack weight, we managed to reach the hut before nightfall.

Hiking

Dramatic Rescue on Kenelty Mountain: Father's Near-Fatal Fall Saved by Son's Quick Action

Posted on August 2, 2024 by Doug

The trail was steep and slippery, and we soon had to stop to catch our breath. I sat on a convenient trailside rock, and I don't remember much of what happened after that. Apparently, I fainted and went rag-dolling down the steep mountain slope.

Hiking

Backcountry Campers Assist in Dramatic Late-Night Rescue in Banff

Posted on July 9, 2024 by Ben

The two guys were wet, still in shorts, and did not have any food or shelter since they left everything back with their group to get help. Knowing that S&R would likely not fly out until morning light, we gave the guys some food, started a fire, gave them whatever layers we could, and let them sleep in our tent for the night. It was tight with four people and a dog in a three-person tent, but we made it work.

Hiking

Rain and Wind Test Hikers on Stewart Island, Helicopter Rescue Ensues

Posted on June 3, 2024 by Sariska

As we started to move faster along the beach, using a hiking pole each for stability, my brother saw me disappear over a line of boulders on the beach. About two minutes later, he found me lying face down in the rocks. I recall waking up with my head jammed between two boulders, bleeding from the scalp and temple, with a hole in my trousers.

Hiking

Surviving South Canyon: A Fractured Wrist, a Beacon, and a Lifesaving Helicopter Rescue

Posted on May 16, 2024 by Diane

Despite being highly experienced off-trail hikers, this was one of the toughest hikes we've ever done. The initial part of the "trail," which we had to follow back to the rim the day after the incident occurred, was extremely challenging. On the way in, it took us 2 hours to descend maybe 1 mile of trail with a 1000-foot vertical drop. It included numerous Class 4 climbing moves, where any slip could have been fatal

Hiking

Family's Relief as Beacon Signals Safe Return of Lost Hikers

Posted on May 14, 2024 by Marcus

The day started beautifully, with clear skies and no indication of inclement weather until around 4:00 p.m. By 5:30 p.m., we hadn't heard from the boys, so we decided to head to the park where they were hiking to see if we could find them. When we arrived at the trailhead around 6:00 p.m., we were greeted by steady rain and darkening skies. Just then, I received a phone call from provincial SAR—they had activated the beacon.
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