I'm trying to collect recent (e.g., since 1980 or so) cases where signal mirrors were successfully used to rescue people. I've appended the solid ones I have from the last five years.

If anyone knows of ones I missed (back to 1980 or so), please post in this thread. (or send me a private message, if you are shy). Please include any details that might help me convince a skeptical reader of their authenticity.

If you can point to a newspaper article with enough specificity that I can get a copy by interlibrary loan, that would be great. The date, number of people involved, type of mirror and aiming method, group signaled to, and reason electronic signaling was unsuccessful, are all of interest.

To my mind, avoiding trouble in the first place, and having electronic signaling that does work, are priorities ahead of the signal mirror, but since the mirrors fascinate me, and seem to have been neglected, I thought I'd pull the information together.

========================================================
Recent Signal Mirror Rescues

Here are 4 documented cases from the last five years where
(a total of) eight people were carrying signal mirrors and did use
them to get rescued. I've also included the reported reasons
why their electronic signaling devices failed them.
Obviously, precluding the electronic failures would have
worked out better for them.

2009/08/12
Two lost hikers signal a National Guard helicopter in Colorado
(Cell phones left at campsite)
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_13049375
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_13044496#ixzz0crePSYRM

2007/04/19
One injured hiker signals an Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter
(satellite phone taken out by fall that broke his knee)
http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/0419hiker0419-ON.html

2005/06/10
Three boaters adrift in the Gulf of Mexico signal a passing ship
(drifted out of cell phone range, no VHF radio)
http://www.floatplancentral.org/library/TalesOfThePlan07.htm

2005/05/17
Two stranded boaters signal a NYPD helicopter
(Cell phones out of charge)
http://www.sailingbreezes.com/Sailing_Breezes_Current/articles/June05/quickthinking.htm

======= older, but notable =============
1989/11/27
Five youths stuck in snow signal rescue aircraft in Washington State
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9hoaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YyQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3169,7828728

Do you have one from Tucson, Arizona from around 1980? A party of hikers successfully initiated a rescue by signaling from the front range of the Catalinas. I am very sketchy on the details since I did not participate in that particular operation, but we could reach someone who would have the information.

Not sure if you have seen this story from 2005

Hiker Gilbert Dewey Gaedcke's trip to paradise included a brush with death after he lost his way on a lava field near Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano.

Gaedcke was rescued after five days when Peter Frank, a teenager on a helicopter tour, spotted him. CNN's Carol Costello spoke Tuesday with Gaedcke and Frank about the ordeal.

No, I don't have the ~1980 Tucson one - info would be welcome.

Thanks!

No, I didn't, thanks!

A fast google did NOT turn up any support, but about 1992-3, when I was at a BSA camp, one of the kids went out at night. Reportedly, the helo found him the next morning after he used the reflector from his flashlight to signal the chopper. I'll see sometime later if I can find documentation.

Here is another news article for your collection. Although the article is centered on the performance of a helicopter for rescue, there is mention of a person using a signal mirror to attract the flight crew attention.


Below, Anderson saw the aircraft and heard its familiar mechanical whine. But he thought they didn’t see him, so he used a signal mirror to get their attention.

“The helicopter was about 1,500 feet below us and there were other hikers waving at it just to say hello,” he said. “I was afraid the crew would be distracted, so I used a signal mirror to get their attention while I called the Coast Guard again on my cell phone.”

Thanks, MDinana - hope you can find more on that.
Good catch, Teslinhiker - I'm glad you found that one.

I expect that cell phones, VHF/ham radios and EPIRB/PLBs are saving more people these days.

I found this scorecard for EPIRB/PLBs: http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/

In the United States, in 2009, for PLBs alone:
33 people rescued in 26 incidents.
The total for the US in 2009, when EPIRBs are added:
195 people rescued in 94 incidents.

Here's a possible - reporter didn't sound too confident.

3/28/2010 Lost hiker in Crestline California

http://rimoftheworld.net/columns/neufeld/missing_hiker

"A source close to the operation indicated a mirror or other shiny object had possibly been used by Gerald to attract the attention of the search helicopter."

3/26/2009, Texas , Possible mirror success

Seems at best an "assist", since they ignored it
initially until they heard folks were in trouble,
and it was never explained what caused the flash.

http://www.forthoodsentinel.com/story.php?id=515

"he saw a flash “like an emergency signal mirror.”

2008/07/24 - Hells Canyon, Colorado, lost hiker.

Lost hiker Patrick Higgins spent two nights in the wilderness, then finally
trolled in a Civil Air Patrol plane (it took over an hour of signaling on his part)
with a quarter-sized signal mirror from the bottom of a canyon.
{ Not only was it tiny, but it was recessed, so you can't signal at much of an angle off-sun, and no aimer, either - RF }

Three Civil Air Patrol accounts laud his skill with the signal mirror.

The mainstream news stories don't even
mention that Patrick was carrying a signal mirror.

By the way, reference [2] is a lavish PowerPoint package with
beautiful photographs and lots of background details for those
of you who are interested in other aspects of survival and
search & rescue other than signal mirrors.

"By 10:22 a.m., the team spotted a shining spot beyond the mountain. Unsure if it was
a windshield reflection or a mirror S.O.S., they followed the light across the
mountain into Hell’s Canyon. More light signals sent the crew to a lower altitude for
a closer look." ... "By 11:35 the aircrew suspected they had located the man. Higgens
helped tremendously in his rescue as he was unusually knowledgeable in the use of the
mirror as he tracked the plane with it. By 12:07 the air crew confirmed it ..." [1]

"He was impressed with Patrick’s ability to target the aircraft [with the signal
mirror] and follow it through the banks and turns. This was told to Patrick during
the interview at ICP, to which he replied: “I was motivated!” [2]
"The mirror he used to signal the plane was only about the size of a quarter, like the multi-
function survival aid pictured here. Patrick had one just like this slung around his neck
during this interview at ICP."

"The aircrew was impressed with Higgins' ability to signal with a mirror only the size
of quarter. 'Patrick targeted the airplane and followed it for a substantial part of
its arc"[3]

In contrast, the new stories [4][5] don't even mention that Patrick had a signal mirror!

[1] Rescue Team, Finds Lost Hiker, p. 3 of Airwaves, Sept. 2008
http://tinyurl.com/08M1313c

[2] Hell Canyon Search CAP 08M1313 (Power Point) - very well illustrated
http://tinyurl.com/08M1313a

[2] "Another typical Rocky Mountain misson", page 24, top left of page 25 Civil Air
Patrol Volunteer, May-July 2009 PDF page 24, top of page 25
http://tinyurl.com/08M1313b

[4] News story: http://www.co.larimer.co.us/news/newsDetail.cfm?id=196

[5] News story: http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=96374&catid=339

[6] News stories: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/16977456/detail.html

[7] News story: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_9983652?source=bb

[7] CAP bulletin: http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=5611.msg107134#msg107134

[8] News: http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20080724/NEWS/185048856/1035/NONE&parentprofile=1062

[] News story: http://www.backpacker.com/blogs/the_pulse/337

( In thread: Re: Recent Signal Mirror Successes - more wanted)

2009/03/09
23 in life rafts rescued after 12 hours adrift when
fishing vessel spots signal mirror from life raft kit
(Ship sank too fast for radio message, mobile phones)
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/aussie-dive-survivor-tells-walked-walls/
http://www.cdnn.info/news/safety/s090314.html

(Here's the account in a survivor's own words):
http://www.phuket-info.com/forums/news-articles/40458-divers-missing-off-phuket-2.html

Again, most of the news stories didn't mention the mirror:
News broadcast:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAYPJNZxphE
News stories:
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/phang-nga-storm-sinks-dive-boat-six-missing/
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/squall-tipped-boat-warning-survivors-tell/
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/nightmare-sea-dive-boat-disappeared/
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/first-light-sees-search-survivors-resume/
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/phuket-divers-find-boat-seabed-tomb/
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/dive-boat-sinking-recovery-effort-underway/
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/final-dive-cook-chose-stay/
http://www.bahtsold.com/news?id=1406

The story hyperlinked below, datelined 10/29/2010, describes a rattlesnake bite victim in Oregon 2.5 hours from the nearest highway. He contacted his wife by radio, she used OnStar to dispatch a medevac helicopter to their GPS coordinates, but despite the GPS coordinates, the helicopter couldn't locate them on the first two passes.

The OnStar operator asked him if they had anything reflective.
They dug into their hunting kit and found a signaling mirror, which they used to signal the helicopter.

24 vials of antivenin later, all was well.

Good teamwork of modern technology and old-fashioned survival gear!

Link to Full Story of Snakebite victim and Signal Mirror

Wow, Rafowell- you've really done your homework! Thanks for some great info.

Great collection!

I am always wondering how far the light from a signaling mirror travels. 5 miles? 25 miles? Do you have any info on this?

Mike, who always carries his signal mirror with him while in the woods.

I've read that the flash can be seen for up to 25 miles. I believe though that the record is nearly 100 miles.

Yes: lots of info and personal experience.

It's very much a function of how clear the air is.

In clear air, 25 miles for a 2"x5" glass aignal mirror, and 45 miles for a 3"x5" signal mirror are about nominal for naked eye visibility - I've done that several times. In reasonably (but not overly) smoggy air - half that.

Range is greater when signaling toward the sun, less with the sun at your back.

Here are videos I made of the mirror flashes from my 3"x5" glass mirror at ranges of 0.7, 11.1 and 43 miles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwCbgQGmID4

A post on some of my 22-mile testing, with links to videos of the testing I posted on YouTube, are here:
Signal Mirrors at 22 miles: glass, metal, plastic

More references:
US Navy Test: "Mirror Flash seen 45 Miles"
Doug Ritter's Consumer Alert: "Phony Glass SIgnal Mirrors"
WWII U.S. Government Signal Mirror training film


BTW: My avatar image is a photo taken through the aiming grid of a signal mirror - that bright spot isn't the sun itself, but the virtual image of the direction the reflected light is going, produced by the retroreflective beads on the aimer mesh.

The link above is now a "dead link" - here's an alternate:

Internet Archive copy of Snakebite and Signal Mirror article

I'll bet that they're danged glad that they had that mirror along.

HJ

Yesterday in Santa Barbara County, California, a lone overdue hiker, lost and bogged down in heavy brush, was spotted when he signaled the SAR helicopter with his signal mirror, and got a flight to safety.

Read the (fairly thorough) report from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's office here:

SAR Finds Lost Hiker - Santa Barbara, California

I missed this one on April 8-9, 2012, Ortega Mountains.

Rescuers vector in heliocopter with signal mirror.

Search and Rescue San Mateo Trail
http://www.rmru.org/missions/2012/2012-011.html

If you are counting situations like that, in southern Arizona (lots of sunlight and long vistas) we routinely flashed a responding helo on just about every daylight operation. Probably still routine, although I have not been involved recently.

I have hauled out the signal mirror/compass mirror on routine, non SAR work just to let the pilot know for sure where we are and to keep in practice.

On May 25, 2013, 5 people whose 19-ft boat had been adrift for 7 days in the Pacific were rescued after a US Navy C-130 search plane from VR-62 ("Nomads") spotted their signal mirror flash at 5 mile range after 3 hours of searching. News reports here:

US Navy Press Release
Photo Album of Rescue from VR-62 Facebook site
Photo of drifting boat, possible weak flash
US Coast Guard news release

US Coast Guard search doctrine assumes a detection range of 5 nautical miles for a sun signal mirror, consistent
with this incident (US COMDTINST M16130.2F , Table H-20, page H-46, January 2013).

Most nations require all oceangoing vessels to carry sun signal mirrors for the purpose of signalling
to rescue plans and ships when in distress:

International Treaty: Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Regulation 11: Equipment of Lifeboats :(xix) a daylight signalling mirror of an approved type
1993 Torremolinos Protocol and Torremolinos International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels (page 80) ; (page 89) ; (page 300) ; (page 309) "One daylight signalling mirror with instructions for its use for signalling to ships and aircraft"
US Code Title 46 CFR 160.151-21 Equipment required for SOLAS A and SOLAS B inflatable liferafts. o) Signalling mirror (Regulation -III/38.5.1.15). Each signalling mirror described by Regulation III/38.5.1.15 must be approved by the Commandant under approval series 160.020.
US Coast Guard Approval Category 160.020 Emergency Signalling Mirror
SOLAS (Safey of Life at Sea) Requirements for Lifeboats "Daylight signalling mirror with instructions" (Annex 4, Row 19; Annex 6, Row 21;
United Kingdom Lifeboat Requirements 10.1.19 Daylight signalling mirror
FAA Requirement Part 135 Section 167 For extended overwater operations: requires liferaft including one signaling mirror (and lots of other equipment)

Three hikers in distress in Alaska were rescued this Tuesday, June 25, 2013, two days after running out of food, when the pilots of a CH-47F Chinook heliocopter spotted their signal mirror. The Chinook was out of Fort Wainwright, Alaska, on a training mission.

3 hikers rescued after 2 days without food

Three hikers rescued in Alaska - Associated Press

Update: 6/30/2013: Here's a release from the Fort Wainwright Facebook page:

USARAK Aviators rescue three hikers near Healy June 28, 2013

Great thread! It's an eye opener when you see how powerful a tool a signal mirror is.

June 30 2013, Tatlanika Creek, SW of Fairbanks, Alaska.

Downed pilot rescued after search plane spotted his signal mirror and orange panel.

This is the second signal mirror success in Alaska within 7 days!
(see above).

In this case, the pilot would have been rescued soon thanks to his old-fashioned 121.5 MHz ELT signal, but thanks to his signal mirror, they spotted him before they could localize the ELT beacon.

“The pilot signaled the HC-130 with a signal mirror and an orange panel,... They actually had visual confirmation of him before they were able to home in on the ELT signal.”

Alaska National Guardsmen Rescue Plane Crash Victim near Tatlanika Creek

Uninjured Pilot Rescued from Plane Crash near Fairbanks

Round robin flight ends in wilderness plane crash north of Denali Park

Very cool! Sounds like he was very prepared.

Gino Borges' pickup got stuck in Nevada's Black Rock Desert about 30 miles from the nearest paved road around Nov 9, 2013.

Gino camped overnight, and on the next day, attracted the attention of some ATVs about 5 miles away with his AMK Rescue Flash signal mirror. The ATVs then bailed him out.

Gino relates his experience in this YouTube Video posted Nov. 15, 2013 and this Nov. 13 blog post.

Wow, someone went into the desert with a survival kit which had a signal mirror. Some folks might think that he just got lucky, but in this case he seems to have made his own luck.

Signal mirrors and ATV's are much less pricey than PLB's and helicopters, but it's nice to have the more pricey back-ups if rock simple doesn't work. Good on him.

This New Zealand hiker found a man lying in a stream in the woods with a head injury.

The hiker used his PLB to summon help (no cell coverage), but the helicopter had trouble locating them due to the tree canopy, and (judging by the photo - see linked article below) there was no place to land nearby.

The hiker found a spot of sunlight and used his signal mirror through a gap in the canopy to signal the helicopter. ( Since he's in a Commonwealth country, he refers to it as a "heliograph mirror").

A paramedic was winched down, and the victim winched out.

NZ Herald - Inventive tramper saves hurt man's life

(This earlier NZ Herald report gives the paramedics name and the date (March 31st), but doesn't mention the mirror.)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11230314

[quote=rafowell]This New Zealand hiker found a man lying in a stream in the woods with a head injury.

The hiker used his PLB to summon help (no cell coverage), but the helicopter had trouble locating them due to the tree canopy, and (judging by the photo - see linked article below) there was no place to land nearby.

The hiker found a spot of sunlight and used his signal mirror through a gap in the canopy to signal the helicopter. ( Since he's in a Commonwealth country, he refers to it as a "heliograph mirror").

[quote]

Even with all the technologies, you still need the basics!

no links.

A very common theme I've noticed in reading survival accounts over the last 5 years or so is that the final 100-200 meters are problematic, even when rescue was called in via phone or PLB. You still need the mirror, flares, strobelight, etc.

This may help...
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a081153.pdf

From 1980 a US military critical evaluation of survival kits and vests they use. It gives statistics how pilots were rescued, what items in the survival kit were used. Table 2 "Means used to Locate Individual" on page 11 ranks mirror 15th out of 28. I'm still going to pack a mirror anyway.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/09/23/20100923arizona-boy-scouts-troops-lost-abrk.html

http://santarosa.towns.pressdemocrat.com/2012/10/news/boy-scout-troop-135s-dramatic-rescues/

didnt' see these mentioned. Never able to track down details of that kid.

The links are in the original post, here: Original Post

Thanks for the links. In both cases, it seems a case of Scouts "being prepared".

I have lots more information on the first incident.

I worked up information at the time, but apparently got distracted, and never posted - thanks for the reminder:

(9/18/2010, six scouts & 2 leaders, Pine Mountain Wilderness, Yavapai County, AZ -
low on water, used ham radio to get the word out).

Here are two more news reports with more details -
the first one includes the tidbit that the helicopter spotted the signal mirror flashes when about 5 miles out.

• Lost Boy Scout Troop Rescued Last Weekend
• Amateur radio operators get through one way or another during emergencies

A Scout leader friend of mine, who helps organize that event in Arizona, interviewed the Scout leader involved afterwards and passed some additional information on to me.

The Scouts were out for their annual mountaintop to mountaintop signal mirror signalling event, Operation On Target, an annual event since the early 1980s, in which I've participated since 2009.

So, the scouts had lots of signal mirrors with which to signal the helicopter, and were practiced in their use (which is important!)

Since ham radio is used for peak-peak coordination during the event, they had more than one of those, too.

Per my friend, what caused them to be running late was that the trail signs had been removed, so they were bushwhacking their way in the heat and altitude, and a couple of the boys were getting dehydrated and short on water.

Compounding the issue is that the cell phone they'd been using for GPS had run out of juice on the way up, so they didn't have good GPS coordinates to report.(Allowing batteries to run out is a common theme in many of these incidents).

The GPS coordinates they transmitted to the Prescott ham (who relayed to the helicopter) were the GPS coordinates for the peak they had signaled from earlier in the day, which they had prerecorded, so the signal mirrors were really key, here, since the GPS coordinates they gave were only enough to get the helicopter to the general neighborhood.

Since they didn't have a common radio frequency with the helicopter, all of their radio communications with it were multihop - they only spoke to the Prescott ham directly, and he relayed from there.

The assessment of the Scout leaders in the field at the time was that they'd make it out on their own, and they just asked the Prescott ham to let their families know they were okay and running late, but apparently there was enough concern that the sheriff mobilized.

Hiker stuck on Thunder Mountain cliff near Juneau, Alaska, hoisted off by USCG last Thursday.

USCG Petty Officer Trevor Frommherz said: "“People down there were down there, saw him, he was flashing a signal mirror, trying to get some help,” The USCG report says: "After notifying 911 by cellphone, the hiker was able to use a reflective device to help rescuers hone in on his location." USCG spokesman Kelly Parker said: "That did help us find him on the mountain face.”

The first distress report reached state troopers ca. 12:30 - unclear whether that was from observers near a local high school that he flashed with his mirror, or his 12:41 911 call. Local search and rescue tried with their helicopter and personnel to rescue him, but called in the USCG ca. 6 PM. USCG on scene at 7:10 PM.

News stories:

• Coast Guard hoists stranded Thunder Mountain hiker to safety
• Coast Guard rescues stranded hiker near Juneau, Alaska
• Coast Guard rescues climber
• Bear hunter rescued from Thunder Mountain in Juneau
• Man stranded on Thunder Mountain cliff rescued by helicopter

USCG video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYZJocuyHkg



The USCG video is available as a 148 Mb download here:
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/404533/co...r-juneau-alaska

Well, I have a failure to report. We can learn from our failures as well as our successes, right?

No emergency was involved, but I spotted my two companions about a quarter mile distant, hiking down a road to retrieve a vehicle and then come back to collect me when we had completed our tasks. The sun was at a perfect angle for signalling. I decided to try my compass mirror (Suunto MC-2), forming "V' with my fingers. I flashed and flashed without getting their attention.

Quite surprising really. Had this been an actual emergency,I would have dug into my gear a bit deeper and used my dedicated signal mirror.

We learn MORE from mistakes than successes.

If they are not looking in the direction of the signal, they can't see it.

Exactly correct. They were probably in "plodding" mode, beating feet back to the vehicle. i quit flashing after a while because I didn't want to cause sunburn or skin cancer, etc.

Tim Gorske, 62, became lost Friday in Colorado while hiking a section of the Continental Divide. He triggered his PLB Sunday AM, and SAR was notified at 10:37AM. They searched that day until 1:30 AM, during which time Tim stayed put. At 8 AM Monday, Tim turned off his beacon, relocated, and turned it on again at 10AM. Around noon Monday, Tim spotted an aircraft, and signaled it with his mirror. The aircraft directed ground SAR to his location.

Search area displayed using Gmap4

News stories below.

The video accompanying the first news story includes a map of the area and a video interview with Tim Gorske. It implies Tim's "PLB" was a SPOT, and mentions the low purchase price of SPOT w/o disclosing the required $150/yr service fee. For a more thoughtful discussion of emergency beacon / messaging options, see:
OutdoorGearLab review of satellite SOS and messaging and OutdoorGearLab Comparison Table

News Stories:

• Hiker Missing Since Friday Uses Mirror To Signal Search Planes
  
  
• Lost hiker uses mirror to signal plane
  
  
• Civil Air Patrol Press Release
  
  
• Grand County SAR Incident Report
  
  
• Search for missing hiker bit of a 'wild goose chase'

Three fishermen in Palau were 36 hours overdue in their motorized fishing boat (engine trouble?) and two of them decided to swim (8 miles) to land.

Fortunately, a helicopter found the boat and learned of the swimmers from the third fisherman.

A Zodiac boat looking for the swimmers saw their signal mirror and rescued them on Christmas, 12/25/2015.

The link below is the only news story on this I have found.

Palau swimmers flag down Zodiac with Signal Mirror on Christmas

Southern California, 7/10/2015

Hang glider ran out of lift and landed at the base of Keller Peak. No cell reception, no response on 2m amateur radio. He triggered his PLB, but after a while, concerned the mountains might have blocked the signal, tried to hike out (with PLB still transmitting). When the helicopter showed up ...

"I continued backtracking as the helicopter flew back out and over my head as I waved in plain sight.
I reached for my glass signal mirror with retro-reflective aiming center and lit up the chopper with reflected sunlight ...
Once we exited the helicopter, the pilot showed me his own, well-worn signal mirror and thanked me for using mine along with the PLB."

Full story here: https://www.acrartex.com/survivors/stories/2015/dietch-long-beach-ca

Good assist to PLB from the signal mirror!

Also, had cell phone, 2m radio and SAR equipment, despite the fact he was <heh> flying light.

One spooky coincidence ... 8 days later, for the Scouting event Operation On-Target, I was at Crestline just up the road from where he launched his glider, exchanging signal mirror signals with a Scout team on Keller Peak, the base of which is where he was stranded!

I am not sure he was justified in triggering his PLB....from his account-"filled with mountain lions, rattlesnakes, coyotes, and..." and he had a "long hike" - oh dear!!

dead link.

The 3/26/2009 link:
http://www.forthoodsentinel.com/sports/f...74435f6b25.html

works for me.

I just spotted a later article – since the original post is closed, I'll add it here. Also, it seems is full name is John Timm Gorsky, hence some articles call him John and some Tim.

There's a nice 2-page article on this rescue in the Winter 2015-2016 "Peaks and Planes",
Official Magazine of the Colorado Wing, Civil Air Patrol, in the article "Steamboat Squadron Aircrew Earns Save of Lost Hiker"
by Lt. Col. Mike Daniels, CAP COWG Mission PIO, pp. 35-36.
About 1" down column 1 on p. 36, it says:


So this was a case of the survivor deliberately targeting the plane. Since both observers saw multiple flashes, he had margin.

Also, I hadn't posted John's account at the ACR Site - it mentions the mirror work again, and that he used a ResQLink™ PLB.

2016/06/12 - "Initial search-and-rescue responders were able to locate the victim’s husband because he had brought a signal mirror on the hike."
Injured Hiker Rescued near Hailey

Hiker dislocated knee during fall in location w/o cell coverage. Her husband hiked to location with coverage, signaled with mirror, provided GPS coordinates. Site was Kelly Mountain, west of Hailey, Idaho.

Only other coverage I've managed to find:
Technical rescue for injured hiker on steep terrain

The link I gave above last year for the 2015 Christmas Rescue no longer leads to the signal mirror news story.

Fortunately, I archived the original news page on the Internet Archive - here's the link: Archived News Story for Palau swimmers signal mirror success with Zodiac

This article (including video) credits a signal mirror for the rescue of New Zealand woman Kushila Stein adrift in the Aegean sea north of Crete this Sunday:

"Fortunately, by using a mirror to reflect light, Kushila was spotted by the Greek Coastguard and was saved after two nights adrift."

Other articles cite the signal mirror was used, but not what the rescuers actually spotted:

•The New Zealand Herald said: "She also pointed the small mirror she kept in her backpack at the sun to try and attract the attention of any planes that flew over." and "She had been located 55 nautical miles off the north of Crete about midday on Sunday."
•The BBC said: "Ms Stein put a red bag on her head and used a mirror to attract attention, reports say."
•Yet another report said: "Whenever a plane flew overhead, she pointed a mirror toward the sun, hoping to create a flash that would attract passengers' attention. "

• The Daily Mail Australia article didn't even mention the mirror.

I always make sure I have a mirror or two along! Good links.

I overlooked this rescue from May 22, 2018.

His hiking companion injured himself in the Grand Canyon,
and he used his PLB to summon help, but the helicopter
was having trouble spotting them. Per the PLB owner:

"The search and rescue team had a hard time spotting us from the air. I used a signal mirror and the pilot said that’s how they were able to locate us."

So - even if you have a PLB (and you should) the signal mirror is still a good idea!

Story here: https://www.acrartex.com/stories/tapeats-creek-arizona-usa

Regarding the 7/15/2015 rescue of Tim Gorske:
Tim Gorske's PLB was an ACR ResQLink, not a SPOT.
He tells his story here:
https://www.acrartex.com/stories/803eae6e-706b-4b79-8cb4-8c52574f3cec

I have a mini 1.5 x 1.5 mirror in my kit.

[June 28, 2020, Scotland] 77 year-old George McGowan saved himself after a motorbike crash by flashing a police helicopter with reflected sunlight off the broken mirror from his bike. He spent 24 hours outdoors.

Safe, OAP biker who was lost for 24 hours... then found in a flash

Quotes from the Scottish Daily Mail:

"But luckily, quick-thinking George McGowan had seen the police helicopter as it searched for him, and snatched the broken wing mirror from his motor­bike to catch the sun and signal the pilot.

"The helicopter pilot {said} had he not done that they wouldn’t have seen him."

"Karen McGowan, a member of Mr McGowan’s family, thanked those who had taken part in the rescue, and said he was recovering in hospital."

{ if the link above is dead, use this Archived Link )

An impromptu signal mirror is better than no mirror! It got the job done.

I almost always carry one. Not used that often, but very effective when needed.

[I seem to have overlooked this one at the time ]

Air Canada Flight Diverts to Find Missing Yacht

Passengers aboard an Air Canada 777 diverted to look for a distressed yacht near Sydney, Australia, checked out a GPS location from an emergency beacon at 4,000 ft altitude.

"The crew and several passengers spotted the yachtsman’s signal mirror"

That's a cool story.

Do wonder how much bureaucracy and red tape had to be dealt with to get a passenger plane involved.

Agreed!

I’m not an aviator, but as I understand the story and how these things work, the rescue authority contacted the aircraft directly, or possibly asked air traffic control to do so. The flight crew, having been notified, decided on their own that they could help without hazarding the aircraft.

What I don’t know is what airlines might have policies about this and what they are.

Only other time heard passenger planes been told to alter their normal routine was during the Iranian Embassy Siege.

The owner (British Airports Authority) of Heathrow airport was told to get aircraft to fly over the embassy at a lower altitude than normal. Just to create some noise cover.

Me, too, but two airliners from different airlines rerouted in this case - an Air New Zealand Airbus 320 in addition to the Air Canada Boeing 777.

Here are a few of the (many) news stories on the incident, and a few quotes from them:

"An AMSA spokeswoman said it was unusual for commercial aircraft to be called in to assist in a search and rescue effort.

"It's not common, but that's not because we try to avoid doing it," she told the Australian Associated Press. "It's because the nature of the incidents that we have aren't necessarily so remote that we can only rely on the commercial airlines."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/air-canada-flight-helps-locate-sailor-off-australian-coast-1.1146862

"Later, an Air New Zealand Airbus 320 en route to Sydney from Auckland was also diverted before an Australian rescue plane arrived and dropped a life raft and satellite phone down to the stranded seaman."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-19970274

{From the Associated Press:}
“The crew borrowed binoculars from customers and also engaged those sitting on the right hand side of the aircraft to help look. As our aircraft flew over the area at 4,000 feet, a reflection from a mirror shining upwards was spotted and the crew saw the yacht in question, de-masted with a person standing _ which was confirmed by a number of passengers."

https://www.cnbc.com/2012/10/17/air-canada-helps-find-troubled-yacht-off-australia.html

https://www.cnn.com/2012/10/18/travel/australia-yacht-rescue/index.html

https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/air-canada-...tralia-1.997459

https://www.cnbc.com/2012/10/17/air-canada-helps-find-troubled-yacht-off-australia.html

A signal mirror enabled this rescue - but don't count on getting this lucky ...

The fisherman was rescued when the signal mirror suspended from his neck reflected light to his rescuers ... at night! (1:30 AM)

Rescuer quote: “We were under night vision goggles, looking around and we saw a flash of light from his signal mirror that he happened to have around his neck,”

The moon was 88% full that night, so the reflection off the mirror may have been the moon.

I've used a signal mirror to deliberately flash moonlight but this is the first account I recall where an accidental moon reflection was credited.

Full article here: Missing Fisherman Rescued by HSM-37 Helicopter Team in Oahu Waters

The above is the only report I found that mentioned the signal mirror, but here are other reports on the incident:

Survivor located at 1:30AM
US Navy Press Release with video
US Coast Guard News Release
Rescuer Hometown Paper Coverage
US Navy Community Outreach
USCG Bulletin when search in progress

[ UPDATE: This article mentions the mirror, and in the interview recording, the airman mentions the mirror as well:
Article with recorded interview of airman
Here's another article mentioning the mirror
Article about rescue swimmer ]

Wow! I hope he bought a lottery ticket when he got home!

It may not be wise to count on it. It surely is worth a shot to keep the mirror suspended as it might help.
Accidental reflection may be seen. By a strange coincindence I recently watched an episode of "SAS - Survival Secrets". A quote from that was "a guy with a wrist watch can compromomise the entire mission". Those blokes do not want to be found. So for our purposes a tuna can sized watch may help to be found too.
The incident also shows how good those resquers are.

Had a recent idea, was to make a phone case with a signal mirror built in.

Could have the mirror facing the back of the phone to protect it. Just take the case off to use.

While you are at it, make space for a couple of matches, perhaps a ferro rod, tinder etc, but keep it tiny and flat.

Voila! The Ren Rescue Case!

Yes, space for UCO stormproof refill perhaps

https://www.ucogear.com/firestarting/matches/survival-stormproof-matches-10-pack-in-bag-mt--sv--bulk

There are small ferrorods made to replace the toothpick in Swiss Army knives.

https://tortoisegear.com/product-category/all-products/firefly-fire-starters/

Small but apparently work.

As for flat tinders

There is the old Hammaro fire lighting paper

https://www.lightingpaper.com/

I really like that stuff.

Yeah, I keep the Hammaro stuff in all my kits.

Where do you get Hammaro? I have never heard of it before....

5Col.com usually has the Hammaro tinder, and a couple of eBay sellers have it. It's a stiff, rigid card impregnated with some kind of wax (smells like beeswax but I'm not sure what all they use). Pretty water resistant and it burns a fair while.

Hammaro is made in Sweden so might be more difficult to get hold of.

There's a few alternatives made over in the US. Spartan Fire is a waxed cotton tinder from https://gopreparedsurvival.com/

Pretty sure seen some others... but can't remember names of the top of my head.

Thanks to both of you - good info!

Remembered another one.

Credit cards made from magnesium and another from cedar.

https://shomer-tec.com/products/fire-cards

Bit James Bondy but are compact.

Signal mirror success story, 12/29/2019:

Sailboat with 3 aboard in the Pacific.

First it was dismasted, and the next day a storm turned it upside down and flooded the engine, navigation electronics and satellite phone. They tried in vain for days to get the engine or phone working again.

Eight days after their phone died, a vessel passed within 1/2 mile, and they used their rockets and smoke bombs in a vain attempt to get its attention.

The next day another vessel appeared "a long way off".

"So we ripped the mirrors from the bathroom and used them to reflect the sun to signal the ship." (quotes from survivor's account)

As the US Coast Guard commented afterwards, an EPIRB/PLB would have greatly shortened their ordeal.

News Story - Daily Mail

Survivor's Account - Outside Magazine

Not sharing my obsession, many accounts failed to mention the mirrors:

US Coast Guard News Release

Family day by day account for the 9 days

Seems there were cases with mirrors built in and a bit of storage space, which looks like might fit a discreet fire starting kit.

https://www.eynproducts.com/collections/eyn-storage-cases

Kind of neat. Not a signal mirror but it would work just fine I imagine.

(I'm quite late on reporting this incident from over 2 years ago, but just spotted it).

In Sept 2019, four hikers were on the 2nd day of a 5 day hike in Wollemi National Park, New South Wales, Australia, when one fell and sustained multiple fractures.

They used a PLB to call for help, and a signal mirror to help the responding plane to pinpoint them.

The full story is here, 2nd column, 2nd story from top:
https://aiea.org.au/kinetic-technology-international-pty-ltd-1507767692811468/

The signal mirror part is in this section:

"I checked the time after activating the PLB and it was about 10.05am. Help Arrives: At about 1:30pm a fixed wing plane arrived in the area and began to circle.

We used the signal mirror provided with the PLB and a small smoke fire to attempt to signal our precise location. Shortly after the plane left a rescue helicopter arrived at our location. I check my watch and it was 2:05pm."

Great save!

Boater adrift in the Caribbean for 24 days while other boats passed by - rescued after flashing plane with signal mirror.

News articles:
UK Daily Mail Article (Archive link)
NPR Article (Archive link)
UK Daily MIrror (Archive link)

This is a very good reminder that "old tech" is still very good.

I'm in the middle of the mid west and don't expect I'll need a dramatic rescue anytime in my future but I've still got a signal mirror in my kit.

First signal mirror save (that I know of) in 2024!

Will Fransen of New Zealand fell overboard 35km east of New Zealand on January 2, 2024.

He had to tread water for 23 hours before he was able to attract the attention of
three passing fishermen ~600 meters distant by
reflecting sunlight from the face of his wristwatch.

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8mqCMDY--o[/video]

Global News: Fisherman saved by watch reflection [Archived Link]

New Zealand Herald: "Will Fransen,...es ordeal" [Archived article]

Very cool!

Another belated find by me - this Grand Canyon rescue was 4 years ago (2020), but I just spotted the account.

While this Grand Canyon National Park rescue at Tapeats Creek, Arizona is (correctly) credited to the use of an ACR PLB,the survivor says, that, after SAR responded to his PLB:

"The search and rescue team had a hard time spotting us from the air.
I used a signal mirror and the pilot said that’s how they were able to locate us."

Full story here:
https://www.acrartex.com/survivor-stories/tapeats-creek-arizona-usa/

Very cool! When you need a mirror few things will replace one.

Another signal mirror assist from exactly a year ago, reported last November, but I only spotted tonight:

ATV flipped over in East Oregon offroad, breaking the rider's neck. His companion triggered his Ocean Signal PLB.

"After what felt like an eternity, the distinctive thumping of a helicopter’s rotors filled the air. I frantically waved the mirror, and with a flash of sunlight, the helicopter zeroed in on our position."

"The pilot informed me that they had received the beacon signal, and it was the beacon that got them close to us."

"Thanks to the beacon, my mirror, and the incredible dedication of the emergency crews, my friend Bill survived against all odds."

Full story here:
https://www.acrartex.com/survivor-storie...l-atv-incident/

Nice, saved some time and potentially having to spend an overnight out.

Some irony that ACR discontinued their signal mirror some time ago.
https://www.acrartex.com/products/hot-shot-signal-mirror/

Also notice CountyComm now have a plastic signal mirror.
https://countycomm.com/products/compact-signal-mirror

Anyone tried one of them?

Yes. That ACR product combined a mirror and a whistle - too bad ACR didn't figure out how to combine a signal mirror with their PLB.

Their signal mirror also had great documentation on the back of the mirror.

ACR actually produced a combination survival product for the Gemini and Apollo astronauts in the 1960s that included a flip-out signal mirror with a retroreflective mesh aimer.

Yes, assuming they haven't changed from those I bought over a decade ago[1] (and they do look the same).

They seemed okay as mirrors, but as signal mirrors, I couldn't figure out how to use their red cross & dot for accurate sighting - they didn't seem to do anything useful.

Has anyone had any luck figuring out how to get value out of the CountyComm red cross & dot?

If not, I'd just tape on my own DIY "red-dot" retroreflective signal mirror sight made from red "truck tape"[2] that we've been using for our Operation On Target long distance peak to peak signal mirror event since 2009 - I know those work extremely well, though they can't handle a water dunking.

The advantage of starting with the CountyComm mirror is that they start with a quality mirror, and they've already removed the reflective surface in the center, creating a transparent window. Those are the first two steps when I make a signal mirror from scratch[2], so it is a labor saving - plus they have the lanyard. It's just that their aimer (as far as I can seen) is not greatly helpful.

I just ordered a pair of the CountyComm mirrors (one of each size) just now so I can take another look, but my expectations are low.

[1] These look identical to those they've been selling for over a dozen years - see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGq4oKZ0bPA

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aNiJ7fWb9g[i][/i][color:#3333FF][/color]

I got the 2" x 2" BCB "heliograph" (signal mirror) from bladehq.com. It is very light weight and has a real hot spot that works unlike the Countycomm one. They also make a 4x4" model that is harder to find. I want one of those since the sighting hole is in a corner rather than in the center, which should(?) still work perfectly well, and it means you have a mirror useful for other stuff (i.e. looking at yourself) as well.

https://www.bladehq.com/item--Bushcraft-2-Mayday-Signalling--21069

Can get it direct from BCB, but don't know if they do international orders.

https://www.bcbin.com/Catalogue/Products...ELIOGRAPH-CK324

I need to get one of the larger ones made of real glass.

5col has the glass ones. They are heavy (especially the large size) but they are supposed to work really well.

https://5col.com/products/mirror-emergency-signalling-mark-3