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#143866 - 08/12/08 02:49 PM SAR comment on SPOT
PackRat Offline
Journeyman

Registered: 09/23/05
Posts: 56
Don't think I would plan any outings with this group but there are a few interesting comments about SPOT from the rescuers.

http://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/pique/index.php?cat=C_News&content=Sar+on+wedge+1532

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#143871 - 08/12/08 03:07 PM Re: SAR comment on SPOT [Re: PackRat]
Susan Offline
Geezer

Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
Hmmmm..... I haven't read anything anywhere that would make me rush out to buy a SPOT.

But... "Whistler SAR received another call at midnight saying that the situation had worsened for the injured climber — the caller said he was exhausted, cold and could not make it back to the injured climber."

If the hiker who was returning to the injured man couldn't GET back to the injured man, how did he know that the man's condition had worsened?

Yes, I would have my doubts about traveling with this group. Want to bet that they didn't have much stuff with them, traveling light?

Sue

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#143883 - 08/12/08 03:38 PM Re: SAR comment on SPOT [Re: Susan]
Nishnabotna Offline
Icon of Sin
Addict

Registered: 12/31/07
Posts: 512
Loc: Nebraska
It looks to me like Spot worked just as advertised but the RCMP didn't want to go out without knowing everything.
Quote:

“All they do is submit a lat and longitude, so all we get is a location of a distress call but no details,” Sills said. “I don’t think it’s a well thought through technology because it doesn’t give the nature of the emergency.”

I'd think knowing the exact location would be a boon to these guys.

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#143884 - 08/12/08 03:39 PM Re: SAR comment on SPOT [Re: Susan]
thseng Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 03/24/06
Posts: 900
Loc: NW NJ
"Tough luck about your leg, buddy, but, well, no reason for us ALL to be cold and miserable, right? Great! We'll see you later, then. Oh - don't let the helicopter leave without us, ok?, that would be mean, dude."

Nice friends.

From the article, it sounds like the SPOT alert was not taken seriously. However, I'm starting to wonder if a PLB would have been much better. The excuse they gave was:
Quote:
“All they do is submit a lat and longitude, so all we get is a location of a distress call but no details,” Sills said. “I don’t think it’s a well thought through technology because it doesn’t give the nature of the emergency.”

And a PLB is different how?
_________________________
- Tom S.

"Never trust and engineer who doesn't carry a pocketknife."

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#143920 - 08/12/08 08:34 PM Re: SAR comment on SPOT [Re: thseng]
stevenpd Offline
Journeyman

Registered: 09/15/07
Posts: 81
Loc: SoCal
1) I wouldn't trust these so called friends to go with me to take the trash out.

2)Due to their blaze attitude, I suspect that they were not prepared for there journey.

3) Short of communication equipment, in proper operating order, all any SAR team is going to get is lat/lon. Which is a great deal more than the panicked phone call from a spouse declaring an overdue arrival.
_________________________
“Always remember the 6 P’s”
(Prior Preparation Prevents [censored] Poor Performance)

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#143921 - 08/12/08 08:34 PM Re: SAR comment on SPOT [Re: thseng]
Lono Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 10/19/06
Posts: 1013
Loc: Pacific NW, USA
Originally Posted By: thseng

From the article, it sounds like the SPOT alert was not taken seriously. However, I'm starting to wonder if a PLB would have been much better. The excuse they gave was:
Quote:
“All they do is submit a lat and longitude, so all we get is a location of a distress call but no details,” Sills said. “I don’t think it’s a well thought through technology because it doesn’t give the nature of the emergency.”

And a PLB is different how?


On the contrary - they started a rare night rescue with an air/sea helicopter and crew, at a decent elevation of 8,200 feet, based on the SPOT-provided location and the hiker/climber provided sense of urgency. As it says flying at night is dangerous along the Coast Range. The context of 'all they do is submit a lat and long' is in response to the unstated question - why the heck did you go after these yahoos in the first place? Meaning, there was not information as to the *actual* status of the injured climber or his friends, the urgency was over-stated, and they appear to have just wanted to chopper out of the situation. Incredible:

"The rescue crew were later shocked to discover a lone person, the injured climber, lying on the glacier at a higher elevation. The rescue crew was able to access, stabilize and transport the injured hiker inside the helicopter.

The rest of his climbing party had to be woken from a “deep sleep” at Wedgemont Hut, according to Sills. Whistler SAR was surprised that the injured person would be left alone after a seemingly urgent request for help.

According to an e-mail from Sills, the threesome felt there was no point in them all being cold when a helicopter would pick them up in the morning.

However, when asked in an interview why the climber was left alone on the glacier, Sills said, “We don’t speculate on why people do things.”"

Its not the results with a PLB would be any different, the only possible difference is these climbers bought the SPOT for exactly this kind of 'emergency call for help.' Granted their climbing partner needed some help, but the rest of them didn't, and they abandoned him on the glacier for no known reason other than 'to keep from being cold when the helicopter picked them up.' Absolutely incredible.

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#143934 - 08/12/08 10:20 PM Re: SAR comment on SPOT [Re: Lono]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
"Broken leg huh, too bad. Well if you can't keep up we'll call SAR and let them know where to pick you up. Good thing too -- a couple years ago we'd have had to carry you off the mountain ourselves. . . or not. We'll be at the cabin having dinner out of the wind if anyone asks. See ya -- wouldn't want to be ya."


Oh yeah, know that type quite well.
_________________________
Better is the Enemy of Good Enough.
Okay, what’s your point??

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#143944 - 08/12/08 11:47 PM Re: SAR comment on SPOT [Re: Russ]
Hikin_Jim Offline
Sheriff
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 1804
Loc: Southern California
It's a shame they don't use stocks in the public square anymore.
_________________________
Adventures In Stoving

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#143955 - 08/13/08 12:18 AM Re: SAR comment on SPOT [Re: Lono]
Jeff_M Offline
Addict

Registered: 07/18/07
Posts: 665
Loc: Northwest Florida
Just playing Devil's advocate here, but is it possible that staying overnight with the injured party would leave them too exposed to hypothermia or other danger? I wonder what, specifically, they could have done to help. Was the injured party conscious or unconscious? If he was with it, just being there through the night could have given him valuable moral support and decreased his odds of perishing.

Jeff


Edited by Jeff_McCann (08/13/08 01:26 AM)

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#143996 - 08/13/08 02:40 AM Re: SAR comment on SPOT [Re: Jeff_M]
Lono Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 10/19/06
Posts: 1013
Loc: Pacific NW, USA
"the threesome felt there was no point in them all being cold when a helicopter would pick them up in the morning."

To get that kind of a reaction from a SAR spokesperson speaks louder than any you can dream up as devil's advocacy. If the lives of the injured climber's three friends would have been in danger by staying on the glacier then I think he would have said it, even given the benefit of the doubt while they abandoned their friend to the elements. Nothing of the kind though - and this took place at 8,200 feet, not 18,200 feet or even 28,200 feet where the real 'death zone' occurs.

My own devil's advocacy, what a bunch of wankers.

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