Thread: PLB saves hunter

Originally Posted by Huntn

Did he not have a GPS and a torch?? I don't go bush without my GPS, phone with topo map on it, a torch and rain coat. It doesn't matter if I'm only going for a morning hunt and its the middle of summer with no rain in the forecast I still always carry those 4 items. Actually 5 items, always carry my PLB too.

I do wonder way people/hunting party's set off there PLB after being lost for less than 24 hours. Obviously it's a different story if you injured.

In some country, limestone etc, even if you do have a torch you are better to just wait for daylight. Especially if you don't know the area.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

In some country, limestone etc, even if you do have a torch you are better to just wait for daylight. Especially if you don't know the area.

This is correct, nothing worse than blundering into a tomo in the dark... Just about done it once in daylight, scared the crap out of myself thats for sure. Was taking the shortcut through the flax bushes, bastard bushes hid the edge.

To be fair - I would rather someone set of a PLB and get rescued in one piece and not requiring an expensive trip to hospital, than wait until they are needing a fair bit of medical attention and still charging the rescue cost plus medical at hospital and tying up those resources as well.

Yes ideal world we should all be self reliant, resilient and able to work our own way out of a situation but...

I know of someone who spent a week out injured simply because he had no PLB was lucky to survive.

Me on the long line



Pretty cool when you look back on it 10 years later

Originally Posted by akaroa1

Me on the long line

Attachment 270853

Pretty cool when you look back on it 10 years later

great photo
isn't it
funny how when the dust settles, and the pros arrive to save the day the focus changes back to "I should document this" good thing he did Aswell that is one truly good photo

Originally Posted by rambo-6mmrem

great photo
isn't it
funny how when the dust settles, and the pros arrive to save the day the focus changes back to "I should document this" good thing he did Aswell that is one truly good photo

This is me on the long line out of the hole I was in



Then they landed me on the ridge and did another assessment



Came back and landed beside me and loaded me inside the machine with my head by the pilots feet and looking up through the rotors

Two helicopters up on the ridge and another waiting in Franz with a 4 person medical team to start work there

The PLB made a very bad day end pretty well.

I probably would have survived a night on the hill.
But only if my foreign hunting companion could have gotten to our camp and back to me that night.

Then we would have had another 3 days waiting for the scheduled helicopter pick up to find our abandoned camp and raise the alarm.
That would have been agony for us both

One thing I have always wondered about and am interested to hear the forum wisdom on, is what about if you’re ok but overdue?

Example scenario could be due home Sunday night but still waiting for a flood to subside on Tuesday morning. You’re dry and warm and fed but you know people are worried and maybe even looking for you.

Should you press the button so they can find you fast and get on with their day?

Originally Posted by longshot

One thing I have always wondered about and am interested to hear the forum wisdom on, is what about if you’re ok but overdue?

Example scenario could be due home Sunday night but still waiting for a flood to subside on Tuesday morning. You’re dry and warm and fed but you know people are worried and maybe even looking for you.

Should you press the button so they can find you fast and get on with their day?

Plb is for life and death only
If you run out of food two days ago and still unable to get out then maybe
But simply to let you family know your ok nup

That is where the inreach or the new starlink satellite text on modern phones is the go

Going in the door



My hunting buddy came out with me

The other machine was there to pull the crew out that couldn't fit in the machine whith Max and I

Originally Posted by rambo-6mmrem

Plb is for life and death only
If you run out of food two days ago and still unable to get out then maybe
But simply to let you family know your ok nup

That is where the inreach or the new starlink satellite text on modern phones is the go

Agree let others raise the alarm if your ok but arent in serious trouble. That's why I got an InReach to add to the PLB. Primarily to give a means of non emergency communication to avoid a callout in the situation I have to wait for a river to drop etc. Or i used it when I ended up with a scalpel in the thigh to get medical advise whether i should use the PLB.

Plb is for life and death only

This is 100% incorrect.

The decision to activate a beacon is far more circumstantial than that black and white statement.
Someone reading that and taking it as gospel may make a very poorly considered decision one day on their own, or someone else’s behalf.

I think it depends on how you read "life or death" if you take it to making sure decisions are made about it early and the fact a response will take time. Ie after cold water exposure before hypothermia sets in. If your lost and the only issue is your hungry it's a bit different to your lost it's raining and you have no shelter and will likely become hypothermic overnight. I do think it's should be made only for life and death situations but that you should be realistic about what could be life or death ie dont wait till you are on deaths door and required response times, whether over time your ability to make rational decisions will decline.

Originally Posted by rambo-6mmrem

Plb is for life and death only
If you run out of food two days ago and still unable to get out then maybe
But simply to let you family know your ok nup

That is where the inreach or the new starlink satellite text on modern phones is the go

I don’t mean it in the sense of letting family know you’re ok. It’s more if it was at the point that LandSAR were probably searching.