{"id":46619,"date":"2026-08-07T19:33:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T19:33:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oceansignal.com\/?post_type=survivor-stories&#038;p=46619"},"modified":"2026-08-07T19:33:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T19:33:11","slug":"ocean-signal-plb1-helps-rescue-injured-hiker-in-new-zealand-backcountry","status":"publish","type":"survivor-stories","link":"https:\/\/oceansignal.com\/us\/survivor-stories\/ocean-signal-plb1-helps-rescue-injured-hiker-in-new-zealand-backcountry\/","title":{"rendered":"Ocean Signal PLB1 Helps Rescue Injured Hiker in New Zealand Backcountry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I was solo hiking New Zealand\u2019s 3,000-kilometer Te Araroa Trail from the South Island to the North Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Boxing Day 2024, I was about 500 kilometers into the journey, hiking the Timaru River Track in the Lake Hawea backcountry. Overnight rain had left the river high and fast-flowing. After completing four difficult crossings in thigh-deep water, I decided to pitch my tent and wait until the following day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before finding a suitable place to stop, I tripped on a wet tree root. My right foot slid down the slope, and I heard my ankle crack. I crawled to a tree, took ibuprofen, applied Voltaren gel, and attempted to stand. It was impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I knew I could not walk out, and no one else was likely to pass that day. I removed the <a href=\"http:\/\/I was solo hiking New Zealand\u2019s 3,000-kilometer Te Araroa Trail from the South Island to the North Island.  On Boxing Day 2024, I was about 500 kilometers into the journey, hiking the Timaru River Track in the Lake Hawea backcountry. Overnight rain had left the river high and fast-flowing. After completing four difficult crossings in thigh-deep water, I decided to pitch my tent and wait until the following day.  Before finding a suitable place to stop, I tripped on a wet tree root. My right foot slid down the slope, and I heard my ankle crack. I crawled to a tree, took ibuprofen, applied Voltaren gel, and attempted to stand. It was impossible.  I knew I could not walk out, and no one else was likely to pass that day. I removed the Ocean Signal PLB1 from my shoulder strap, extended the antenna, and activated it. I then changed out of my wet clothes, put on warm layers and rain gear, and prepared to wait.  Before long, I heard a helicopter approaching. Dense beech forest made me difficult to see, but after circling the area, the crew spotted me in a small clearing. The helicopter returned five minutes later with rescuer Gary suspended beneath it on a longline.  Gary reached the track, stabilized my ankle, and secured me in a harness. We were longlined to a plateau downriver, where the helicopter could land, before I was flown to Wanaka Medical Center.  Pilot James recorded my PLB1 serial number and explained that the crew trusted the registered coordinates transmitted by the beacon. In his experience, a PLB provided a more precise search location than an inReach, helping the crew find me more quickly.  My ankle was broken and required surgery. Although my Te Araroa journey ended suddenly, I recovered in Wanaka with the support of many kind people. I plan to return for the 2026\/27 season and finish what I began, with my PLB by my side. It is an essential piece of equipment for any solo hiker.\">Ocean Signal PLB1<\/a> from my shoulder strap, extended the antenna, and activated it. I then changed out of my wet clothes, put on warm layers and rain gear, and prepared to wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before long, I heard a helicopter approaching. Dense beech forest made me difficult to see, but after circling the area, the crew spotted me in a small clearing. The helicopter returned five minutes later with rescuer Gary suspended beneath it on a longline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gary reached the track, stabilized my ankle, and secured me in a harness. We were longlined to a plateau downriver, where the helicopter could land, before I was flown to Wanaka Medical Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pilot James recorded my <a href=\"http:\/\/I was solo hiking New Zealand\u2019s 3,000-kilometer Te Araroa Trail from the South Island to the North Island.  On Boxing Day 2024, I was about 500 kilometers into the journey, hiking the Timaru River Track in the Lake Hawea backcountry. Overnight rain had left the river high and fast-flowing. After completing four difficult crossings in thigh-deep water, I decided to pitch my tent and wait until the following day.  Before finding a suitable place to stop, I tripped on a wet tree root. My right foot slid down the slope, and I heard my ankle crack. I crawled to a tree, took ibuprofen, applied Voltaren gel, and attempted to stand. It was impossible.  I knew I could not walk out, and no one else was likely to pass that day. I removed the Ocean Signal PLB1 from my shoulder strap, extended the antenna, and activated it. I then changed out of my wet clothes, put on warm layers and rain gear, and prepared to wait.  Before long, I heard a helicopter approaching. Dense beech forest made me difficult to see, but after circling the area, the crew spotted me in a small clearing. The helicopter returned five minutes later with rescuer Gary suspended beneath it on a longline.  Gary reached the track, stabilized my ankle, and secured me in a harness. We were longlined to a plateau downriver, where the helicopter could land, before I was flown to Wanaka Medical Center.  Pilot James recorded my PLB1 serial number and explained that the crew trusted the registered coordinates transmitted by the beacon. In his experience, a PLB provided a more precise search location than an inReach, helping the crew find me more quickly.  My ankle was broken and required surgery. Although my Te Araroa journey ended suddenly, I recovered in Wanaka with the support of many kind people. I plan to return for the 2026\/27 season and finish what I began, with my PLB by my side. It is an essential piece of equipment for any solo hiker.\">PLB1<\/a> serial number and explained that the crew trusted the registered coordinates transmitted by the beacon. In his experience, a PLB provided a more precise search location than an inReach, helping the crew find me more quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My ankle was broken and required surgery. Although my Te Araroa journey ended suddenly, I recovered in Wanaka with the support of many kind people. I plan to return for the 2026\/27 season and finish what I began, with my PLB by my side. It is an essential piece of equipment for any solo hiker.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I was solo hiking New Zealand\u2019s 3,000-kilometer Te Araroa Trail from the South Island to the North Island. On Boxing Day 2024, I was about 500 kilometers into the journey, hiking the Timaru River Track in the Lake Hawea backcountry. Overnight rain had left the river high and fast-flowing. After completing four difficult crossings in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2075,"featured_media":46603,"template":"","survivor-stories-category":[14],"survivor-stories-cause":[43],"survivor-stories-event":[],"survivor-stories-rescue":[1957],"survivor-stories-terrain":[20],"class_list":["post-46619","survivor-stories","type-survivor-stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","survivor-stories-category-hiking","survivor-stories-cause-weather","survivor-stories-rescue-helicopter-rescue","survivor-stories-terrain-forest"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.2 (Yoast SEO v28.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ocean Signal PLB1 Helps Rescue Injured Hiker in New Zealand Backcountry - Ocean Signal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Find out how the Ocean Signal PLB1 rescue device played a crucial role in my solo hiking adventure in New Zealand&#039;s wild terrain.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/oceansignal.com\/us\/survivor-stories\/ocean-signal-plb1-helps-rescue-injured-hiker-in-new-zealand-backcountry\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ocean Signal PLB1 Helps Rescue Injured Hiker in New Zealand Backcountry\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Find out how the Ocean Signal PLB1 rescue device played a crucial role in my solo hiking adventure in New Zealand&#039;s wild terrain.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/oceansignal.com\/us\/survivor-stories\/ocean-signal-plb1-helps-rescue-injured-hiker-in-new-zealand-backcountry\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Ocean Signal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T19:33:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/oceansignal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/ss-attachments\/000012.JPG\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1818\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1818\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oceansignal.com\\\/us\\\/survivor-stories\\\/ocean-signal-plb1-helps-rescue-injured-hiker-in-new-zealand-backcountry\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oceansignal.com\\\/us\\\/survivor-stories\\\/ocean-signal-plb1-helps-rescue-injured-hiker-in-new-zealand-backcountry\\\/\",\"name\":\"Ocean Signal PLB1 Helps Rescue Injured Hiker in New Zealand Backcountry - 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