Lives saved
2
Hiking
Forest
Lost
Normal conditions
Hiker and Pet Saved at the Pureora Forest Thanks to her ResQLink 400 PLB
-38.6295481°S, 175.4994192°E
Posted on November 10, 2023 by Sara
What happened?
My dog Frankie and I are regular hikers and had planned to walk to the Ketemaringi Trig in the Pureora Forest for lunch and return to the car.
I had checked out the track and knew it was well within our capabilities.
It was -2 degrees when we started, heading for a high of 10-12 degrees. We walked through 4wd track then entered the bush. After walking for about an hour and going around some fallen trees, I couldn’t pick up the track again but was able to work out where we were and get a compass bearing to get us back on track.
I unclipped Frankie from my waist so she could run freely trailing her longline. She came back to check in as usual, then did not come, and despite having a strong recall she did not appear.
I thought she may be caught up nearby so I went to look for her. I probably searched and called for around 2 hours in total, before realizing how disorientated it was, and what the time was – I was fast running out of light to safely navigate myself out.
I had to make the awful decision to leave her and get help.
I found a pocket of phone coverage and called 111. I was able to tell them I was not injured, I had warm, dry clothing and food and water. They advised me to activate my ResQLink 400 PLB, which I did at about 10 to 4 then hunkered down and waited.
SAR made contact with me (via blowing whistles) at 10:15pm and we walked 2 ½ hours out. I was surprisingly relaxed, apart from being upset about Frankie, I had full confidence in my PLB and knew they would get to me as soon as they could. (And I knew Frankie would do her best too).
The team that rescued me were amazing, and were impressed with how prepared I was, and I was actually a bit proud of myself for being so prepared.
I never considered or appreciated the time it took from activation of a PLB to contact from the SAR Team, or the resources involved. The teams that came to me were awesome, they made me feel safe and comfortable after six hours alone.
Best news is that after a week of searching for her, Frankie walked out in better condition than any of us were ❤️
Words of wisdom
“It’s not going to happen to me” – until it does, go well prepared no matter what the time/distance, and take your PLB even on short walks, and make sure you know how to use it.
A $5 plastic whistle is invaluable and works nicely with a PLB!
Get out there and have fun!
Thank you note
Thank you to the ACR Team for a compact, easy to use PLB that gives me confidence when out and about. It was surprising how comforting the regular strobe light was while I was alone and waiting for rescue.
Rescue location
New Zealand
Rescue team
Local Search and Rescue
ResQLink™ 400
Go to product details$369.95
Small but resilient, the ResQLink 400 has been professionally engineered and tested to ensure it can withstand even the harshest elements. This buoyant Personal Locator Beacon requires no subscription for use and can be utilized to enhance your safety in a wide variety of environments. Whether on land, at sea, or in the air, trust that the ResQLink’s satellite precision and military durability, put rescue in the palm of your hands.
Features and Benefits:
- No Subscription Required
- GPS and Galileo GNSS
- Built-In Buoyancy
- Strobe and Infrared Strobe
- Global Coverage
- MEOSAR Compatible
- Small and lightweight
- 5-year battery life
- 24+ hours Operational Life**
- Multi-function Clip System Included