Hiker Dies Despite PLB

Just a reminder that a PLB should only be one part of your survival gear.
SF Gate Story

It appears the spot did it's job (Even though I prefer the ACR), the problem was the weather impeded the search and rescue. I don't know if he fell with his pack near by or what, but if he had his pack with him and had some sort of shelter with thermals or what have you he may have made it. They said he was an experienced hiker and he had a spot with him as well so he was a little prepared (not knowing how much from the article). He could have fell and his pack could have went off the side of a hill or what have you and he may have not had any more access to anything except what was in his pockets. Sometimes no matter how much you prepare your self, if it's your time then your going to go. In this case a spot, sat phone, cell phone,radio or acr would have made no difference. A good bivy and bag would have.

This is why you carry the basics on your person that way if you should get separated from your back pack you can still make fire with a lighter or mag bar or whatever your choice of fire starter is, shelter I carry one of those emergency ponchos and a heatsheet two person blanket, and a good knife. Heck maybe even carry a couple of small tealight candles that way when you cover up with the heatsheet you could place the candle in there to create some extra heat. A beacon is only to notify people that your in trouble you still gotta last until they get to you.

From the articles I've been reading on Mr. Andrews (may God rest his soul and comfort his wife), his camp was found near where his body was found, reportedly in a "crevasse." I imagine they mean a crevice or ravine, not a crevasse. A crevasse is a feature associated with glaciers. He was not near a glacier at the time.

It may have been that he merely slipped and fell near his camp but had his SPOT with him (hmm, maybe I should carry my PLB on my person not in my pack). He apparently survived long enough to activate his SPOT but succumbed to exposure. Sounds like he was too injured to get back to his nearby camp and equipment, poor guy. Could happen to anyone.

Good thing for his wife that he was at least somewhat prepared and had the SPOT with him so that at least his body was found. In snow country like the High Sierra, it can be months (or longer as in Steve Fossett's case) before the body can be found. The not knowing in the interim is hell on a family. I speak from personal experience on that last thought.

Since the SAR team had a lat lon but chose to wait till
the storm passed, they may have some rethinking to do about
how they respond.

And if the SAR team started an air search and no only lost the bird due to weather, but also the crew, people would be saying "they should have waited."

And they'd be right. Last time I looked, the thing you don't want to do when you are responding to a problem is make it worse. It might not be the pretty or popular answer, or the one that a lot of people will go with willingly, but there is a reason for it.

That's what feet, atv's, skis, snowshoes etc. are for.

I guess it would have to depend on the storm. If there were high water as some of the articles describe, then everything's grounded, and SAR has to wait, someone's life hanging in the balance or no. The only thing worse than losing the subject of a SAR incident is losing all or part of the SAR team as well.

Could you post links to the other articles? I heard only
they had snow and wind, not high water.

http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=48747&provider=top

TUOLUMNE COUNTY, CA - Rescuers have encountered unfavorable weather, high water and difficult terrain in their search for a missing hiker in the Iceland Lake area of Emigrant Wilderness.

Friday, the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office was alerted to a 911 signal being broadcast by a Personal Locating Beacon in the area mentioned above. However, the department?s search and rescue team could not begin a search for Christopher Andrews, 42, of Hillsborough because an impending storm and darkness, said Deputy Paul Tualla.

Saturday, Tualla said searchers on horseback and on foot attempted to reach Iceland Lake but had to turn back because of high-water creeks.

The search for Andrews was then approached by four-wheel drive vehicles and on foot from the Haypress area over East Flange into the Relief Valley. However, search teams could not access the area where the 911 signal was emanating, Tualla said.

An aerial search by helicopter was conducted Sunday but Andrews was not located. The 911 signal also stopped.

Andrews is described as 6 feet - 1 inch tall and 165 pounds with blond hair and blue eyes. His family described him as experienced hiker who knows the Emigrant Wilderness area.

Search and rescue teams from the Tuolumne County and Calaveras County sheriff departments planned to search again Monday.

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