PLB1 Activated After Walker Develops Chest Pains on Overland Track

What happened?

Three days into a six-day bushwalk along Tasmania’s Overland Track, one member of our group began experiencing chest pains. With several days of the walk still ahead, it quickly became clear that medical assistance was needed.

Fortunately, our group leader was carrying a rescueME PLB1, hired from Paddy Pallin Adventure Equipment. The instructions provided with the beacon were clear and easy to follow, allowing the group leader to activate it successfully during a stressful situation.

Once activated, the PLB1 was carefully placed on the helipad and left operating while the group waited for emergency assistance. Approximately one hour after the beacon was activated, a rescue helicopter arrived and provided the necessary medical support.

Our fellow walker was then evacuated from the Overland Track and transported to the Royal Hobart Hospital for further care.

Thankfully, the incident had a positive outcome for everyone involved. Having the rescueME PLB1 available gave the group a reliable way to alert emergency services when urgent help was required in a remote location. Without the beacon and the rescue response it helped initiate, the situation could have taken a very different turn.

Words of wisdom

Always carry a PLB with you in the outdoors. It may be somebody else’s life you save!

Thank you note to the Ocean Signal team

The emergency services do a fantastic job, and all their staff were extremely professional kind and empathetic.