On Saturday, June 10th, Allister Gibson, a Technical Field Representative (TFR) based in Winton, set out on a motorcycle ride with two friends. Their plan included not only riding on Southland’s public roads but also exploring some forestry trails.

While packing for the trip, Allister leaned into his car to grab his wallet and noticed the ResQLink 410 PLB he had recently received from PGW. Anticipating that they might be riding through areas with no mobile phone coverage, he decided to put the PLB in his motorcycle tank bag… just in case.

The three riders were traveling in single file, about 200 meters apart, along a narrow gravel road that cut through a forestry block. Allister’s friend Blair was riding in the middle.

As Blair rounded a blind corner, he suddenly encountered a car coming from the opposite direction. Unable to avoid a collision, his motorcycle struck the car head-on, causing him to smash into the windshield and roll over the vehicle.

Rushing to check on his friend, Allister quickly realized the severity of the accident. Blair was seriously injured and in need of emergency medical attention. Thankfully, the elderly woman driving the car was shaken but not physically injured.

Allister’s mobile phone had no reception. While trying unsuccessfully to reach emergency services, he decided to activate his PLB… just in case.

In New Zealand, emergency calls to 111 are routed differently than other calls, and the phone will attempt to connect through any available mobile network. Allister managed to contact emergency services by phone at 11:00 am. Simultaneously, the New Zealand Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) received the PLB activation alert, which included the GPS location of the beacon.

Nikki, a Search and Rescue Officer, explained, “When we receive a location, we plot it and examine the area – in this instance, it was on a road. Because it was on the road, our first call is to the Ambulance Service Air Desk to check if they have a job in the system. They did, and the locations matched. Often in such cases, they ask us to keep the beacon on until the helicopter arrives, as it helps the helicopter locate the beacon by its VHF signal.”

Although GPS is accurate within 100 meters, the ACR ResQLink 410 RLS beacon also emits a homing signal that the helicopter can use to find you. Dispatched from Dunedin, the helicopter arrived at the scene in just 45 minutes.

Allister expressed his amazement at the rapid response once the helicopter arrived. “Two local fire brigades, two police units, and ambulance personnel from different locations were on the scene within 25 minutes. In total, there were more than thirty responders. Blair was airborne and on his way to the hospital 1 hour and 28 minutes after the accident.”

Allister wanted to share his story as a reminder that accidents can happen to anyone, at any time. “These are the roads we all drive daily, and such events can and do happen. I, for one, am truly grateful that my employer cares so deeply about my health and safety that they provided me with this device.”

Blair is expected to make a full recovery.