A couple of interesting issues: (1) Was the "search beacon" referenced in the report SPOT or a PLB? (2) The video report in the link above indicated that searchers were working from old fixes from a "search beacon", and that they found him by following tracks from the old fix. Would not either SPOT or a PLB continue to send updated GPS data if either were moved during the activation cycle? Why were the rescuers working from an "old fix". Did the beacon fail or run out of juice?

Quite a bit could still be learned from this successful rescue.

Followup: It appears from a later news article that the beacon was of the SPOT family and that it did stop working possibly from a dead battery. The hiker decided to keep moving after the beacon died in order to say warm. That is why they followed tracks from an old fix. Note to self: if using SPOT, carry extra lithium batteries.