Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board 911 emergency beacon fails to save Sierra hiker

Your heading could be interpreted as suggesting some sort of failure of his emergency beacon.

I read both stories and in all fairness I think the SPOT did its job and did what it was designed to do. Neither story is clear on how soon the victim expired after activating his unit. Considering the weather conditions and his remote location I doubt that anything more could have been done to save him.

I think that this speaks to the reliability of the product.

Why SAR had to search for him... Probably due to the inaccuracy of the coordinates transmitted. I've noticed this "problem" since the early days of my using the device. An OK message often ends up being a long way from where I transmitted it.

As I've said to many people who've asked about SPOT, I do think it gives the family some peace of mind, but if you looking for a better chance of having a device that'll get you rescued in an emergency, go for a PLB.

I do hope the makers of the device work on the reliability of the transmissions in version 2.

I've had problems with any messages sent. I redid the help message to say something else (depending on the hike) but I've never had much luck with either message button. Could just be me. I haven't tried out that 911 button yet.

The tracking (on my hikes) works pretty darn good. Not exact, but good enough that my wife knows I'm ok. As long as it's moving either I'm alive or a bear is sticking close to the trail with my pack.

She knows where we "SHOULD" be stopping on the trail. As long as we are close to the locations we gave her and about the right time, she's happy. When we ran out of steam after Colby and bivied 5 miles early, she didn't freak. She waited about the amount of time we had planned on stopping and then checked to see if we were moving. Once we were moving she had no worries.

For me the 310 or whatever she paid for it loaded with tracking, etc, was worth it. It is better than the nothing she had before. Maybe when my year is up I'll get something better............................................DUG

Scary, I am actually looking into the SPOT for my Whitney trip. After reading the all three not so positive reviews from the backpackgeartest site, I was in doubt. Now with this news, I am sure going with ACR PLB. sure initial cost is high. But over 5 years period it is actually cheaper.

Reading those articles, I cannot find anything that implies the SPOT Messenger failed. The guy sent the 911 call, and they knew where he was, only he was in such a rugged and remote area that they could not reach him.

He sent the 911 call Friday afternoon. The rescue did not start until the next day (Saturday), and after a storm had passed through. The rescuers had to turn back due to high water in the streams. The article says, "As of that evening, team members were unable to get to the area where the beacon last signaled"

Then they tried to get to him via a different approach, a trail head requiring 4wd just to get in.

The article goes on: "On Sunday, a helicopter was launched to help, but searchers still couldn't find Andrews. The emergency beacon stopped emitting a signal, possibly due to a dead battery."

Reporters add their own bias when they write. They did not need more signals from the SPOT -- he was NOT MOVING. It sent the GPS coordinates of his location. It did not matter that it had stopped (It stops after 24 hours automatically, NOT due to a dead battery.) Even if it continued working, it would not have helped them get to the location.

When they finally got the right equipment, a helicopter and people with technical climbing gear, they were finally able to reach him.

SPOT is not going to save someone's life if they are in such a remote area and they fall into an even more inaccessible ravine.

Looking on the brighter side, if he had not used the SPOT, it is likely he would never have been found.

Bingo.

the same money could be used to buy backpack, boots and hiking poles, and reservation permit - much more useful on the Whitney Trail

Depends on where a "Whitney Trip" starts. Most of mine start in Kings Canyon, but I tell my friends - "I'm going to Whitney".

I agree I wouldn't buy one JUST for the MT hike, now that I own one, I bring it in case someone else might need help. Plus it helps add a few ounces to get my pack weight up near Moose's. ..............................................DUG

Expanding on what I said earlier:

Here's just one example of the "inaccuracy" of SPOT:



That OK message was sent from Whitney Portal, not Meysan canyon. That's one hell of a wild goose chase SAR is going on if it's a 911!

Another example of problems with "SPOTcasting:" I was on the Main Trail for nearly 9 hours on Sunday, yet my SPOT track only shows 5 waypoints. There should have been 50+! Granted, GPS reception is spotty on parts of the trail, but there was nothing from the whole "back side" of Whitney. (And, since hearing that the device does not work reliably when it's upside down, I check to verify that it is right side up whenever I take a break.)

I do like the device. I just think it needs some work. Like I said above, I hope they improve the device with version 2. And knowing what I now know about the device, I would wait for a new release, or pick something else, if I was shopping.

(As far as the news reports: my interpretation of what I read leads me to believe that they had to search, rather than "homing in" (the broadcast waypoint) on the SPOT.

It's a very sad outcome for the hiker and his family.

My first thought was to wonder if the story might have been different had he not been hiking alone. But considering the weather and the terrain, it may not have made any difference.

An emergency beacon should not be considered a life-saving device; all it does, in the end, is send a message. To think otherwise is a false sense of security. (I don't mean to imply that the hiker thought one thing or another, I'm just making an observation.)

Wow, Richard, that location was way off the mark!

Where do you put the unit when you are hiking? I am curious how that differs from DUG's method.

Steve - On my big pack I installed a fabric strip on the very top and it lays flat. On the smaller packs it hangs on the side. The clip is too open on the end so I add duct tape and a lanyard. I turn it on and forget it. I'm not counting on it to save my life, the tracking is enough for us. I hike in some remote spots but never alone. Maybe if I do more off trail, solo or winter stuff I'll get something better. My family and friends like to hike with us via SPOT. So if we're both hurt AND the SPOT doesn't work and the rangers ignore my wife's phone calls then we have problems. I'm more worried about the drive to work.

I do agree that the tracking around Whitney is poor, but good enough. Last weekends track was SPOT on what my gps said.................................DUG

With my overnight pack, it's strapped to the top of the pack. I also tie it off with a piece of string as a safety strap in case it pops off of the pack.

With my daypack, it goes in the "glasses/goggles compartment" at the top of the pack.

In the case of this OK transmission, it was sitting on the dash of my car parked at the Portal.

I haven't had any problems with my SPOT's OK messages, and my location. I used it numerous times recently on a 9-day trip (and on two previous trips), and it was accurate in identifying our location each time. I send an OK message once I'm in camp or taking a break along the trail. I wait until I know the message has been sent. The unit has to face up to the sky; there may be problems if someone turns it on, puts it into their pack, and walks off.

Reading this thread it almost seems like no one ever dared venture into the wild dangerous Sierra before SPOT and PLB's.

My own opinion - worth what you're paying for it ($0)- these things are imperfect tools that MAY be useful in certain wilderness situations. They are friends of Murphy - the Murphy of Murphy's law fame. They are not substitutes for proper planning, equipment, situational awareness and common sense - nor the realization that even with adequate amounts of the above, sometimes feces occur.

I always get a chuckle when I see GPS, PLB or SPOT on the heavily traveled trails during prime time.

I do a good bit of off trail travel and have used my GPS once to get back to a trail in white out conditions. Most of the time it is used for distance and direction to a peak...a tool of convenience; not need.

I can see the need for these tools but not on heavily traveled trails like the MMWT except in the dead of winter when things change drastically.

The more I read to more I do not care for the SPOT system. One of these days I will most likely invest in a PLB.

I'm with booger, there is no substitute for planning and wisdom.

Hi Never like to bring this to the surface , but at what point do people need to accept the fact that in the remote area about 15 minutes from a trailhead your life has now been placed in your control, with very little chance of help fast enough if you have a heart problems ,fall off the trail and suffer serious injury, fall into fast moving water, the list is long and factor in weather, night time, and use of the area. These tend to be recovery missions .


Several weeks ago we had a minor injury on the trail a helicopter was used to airlift the person out , the reporting party was with the person that was injuried, not life threating not bad weather and only several miles down to the portal. they said they were Sierra club hikers, this started a dialouge about ethics and should we not hold to a higher standard , I know most climbers still do.


When we wrote our book the hardest chapter was on this topic, when you look at the North Fork the main trail and then the crosscountry travelers one sees a pattern and one size will not fit, each group has a look at the world from a different past and expectation level, I drive by a Rolls Royce dealer many times , now can I buy one ? I have hiked the main trail 17 times I can now do the East face, a guy at work did the mountaineers route I think I will do it this weekend, I had a brain transplant, Whitney will be a good test.... So a beacon device is intended for Recovery or another electronic gadget that takes 3 batteries? Thanks Doug

My backpacking goes back to the 1970s as a teenager. No gadgets. Topo map & compass. I still don't have a GPS or PLB...primarily because I'm not out there to run calculations--I want to just BE. I know there can be value in these units, but for most people, hiking on established trails I think they're unncessary.

I have found more folks "under-prepared" for conditions and situations because they have the mistaken comfort of their cell phone--which won't work most of the time, and can almost be guaranteed not to work when you really need it. In 2007 there was a situation at Trail Camp and someone said "I've got a a cell phone." I laughed out loud. The situation resolved with the help of a few others, but if they'd gotten a signal a full SAR response may have ensued unnecessarily.

Part of the reason I head to the wilderness is to get away from the city and its sounds. I resent folks calling mom from a summit or asking loudly "have you got a signal?" "who is your carrier?" It steps on my buzz to hear this stuff.

I also enjoy the self-reliance that is demanded when you're away from your neighborhood paramedics. It's part of the deal, yes it's a risk, but I think it is a big part of what draws many of us to the wilderness. And any day I'll take the bears, varmints, trail conditions and weather over the gang-bangers and streets of LA.

Karen - My brother brings his cell phone every trip that involves Forester Pass. It's Verizon and he can force it to get a signal with manual roam. We like to call people and mess with them/send pics with the phone, etc. Seems funnier at 13,000+. I never carry a phone, too many ounces. ......................................DUG