Reminds me of the movie Cast Away after Tom Hank's character is rescued and starts seeing everyday things that would have made life so much easier: a propane match for lighting the fondue and a SAK on the Jeep's keyring come to mind. Little things we carry in our pockets and take for granted.

Look, I don't have a problem with Susan's banging on the system for virtually ignoring the multiple S O S signals, I really don't know what they (resort, et al) were thinking; that should be addressed at the systemic level because somewhere there's a hole in the system and this couple slipped right through that hole.

My biggest issue though is the common held belief that because the SAR system exists, we should rely on it rather than on ourselves. We should be equipped to survive whatever environment we choose to put ourselves. When you ski off the back-side of a resort you should be carrying more than a couple granola bars.

I'm getting ready to invest in a PLB (either the ACR MicroFix or the new McMurdo Fast Find (w/ GPS) if the FCC clears it before I purchase and it gets good reviews). So why would a guy who is big on self rescue buy a PLB? Because when you're floating in your PFD 100 miles off the coast, self rescue isn't an option. My buying a PLB is strictly for a ditching at sea contingency; if I find myself wet when I should be dry, I intend to have a direct line into the SAR system.

Then again, once I own this device, maybe I'll go off the back-side and take more risk knowing I have a safety net at my fingertips. . . nahh, bad form.