I'd be willing to bet that the ELT on his plane was a EBC-502. This type is quite prevalent on the small aircraft like the Decathalon. They appear to be darn near indestructible and will successfully operate even on very old batteries (like the one I found in a FBO's dumpster with 7 year old batteries). All they need is a decently open view of the sky.

I hope Steve comes out of this latest "adventure" ok.