These folks are from my area. Nice to see a happy ending. I saw a news story last night which featured the PLB involved, an ACR AquaFix. Although the story in the link below got it right, I was surprised how many media types still do not know what a PLB is. I heard the AquaFix called a "GPS locator", an "EPIRB", and just a plain old "GPS." How is the general public going to find out about what these devices can do if the local media can't figure it out. Pretty disappointing.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/coast-guard-rescues-three-boaters-from-boynton-beach-1491071.html

Glad to see the good news.



Yeah, these are the same people who call every rifle an AK47 and every pistol a Glock. Meanwhile a 10-second Google search would set them straight, but they see themselves as the gatekeepers to informing the masses.

Even after the CG calls it a PLB in the article, the writer describes it as the "vessel's personal locator beacon". Read the comments to the story; the readers call it an EPIRB and GPS device.

Really though, it's just semantics; different acronyms for virtually the same result. Maybe instead of buying the boat an EPIRB the owner bought a PLB which he left on the boat . . . So does that make it an imPersonal Locator Beacon or is it an emergency position-indicating radio beacon (lower case)? Who cares -- they had one, used it and the Coasties were able to come up with a relatively cheap save.

Like the FF 210 in my flight bag . . I really expect the aircraft's ELT (analog) to sink if we are ever forced to ditch. The beacon I take with me is my personally owned PLB, but it will function as an 406 MHz ELT (emergency locator transmitter) if I ever use it following a ditch.

The article didn't get it all wrong: