{"id":8794,"date":"2024-11-06T13:08:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-06T13:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oceansignal.com\/?post_type=survivor-stories&p=8794"},"modified":"2024-12-19T15:50:35","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T15:50:35","slug":"saved-by-a-beacon-how-a-hikers-preparedness-on-mt-thomas-turned-a-crisis-around","status":"publish","type":"survivor-stories","link":"https:\/\/oceansignal.com\/us\/survivor-stories\/saved-by-a-beacon-how-a-hikers-preparedness-on-mt-thomas-turned-a-crisis-around\/","title":{"rendered":"How a Hiker\u2019s Preparedness on Mt. Thomas and Hiking Safety Gear Turned a Crisis Around"},"content":{"rendered":"

It had been raining heavily, making the steep descent from the summit of Mt. Thomas<\/a> treacherous. Pine needles gathered in thick bunches, hiding tree roots along the trail.<\/p>\n

I was halfway back to the car park when I tripped and fell, hearing a loud crack as my ankle twisted beneath me. For a moment, I hoped the noise had come from my walking pole breaking, but one look at the angle of my foot confirmed my suspicion: it was my leg that had broken.<\/p>\n

The pain hadn\u2019t fully set in yet, but I felt an immediate sense of frustration. My plans for a summer of tramping had just vanished, and I knew I\u2019d be letting my team down during the busiest time of year at work.<\/p>\n

I took a few moments to consider my options.<\/p>\n

It was cold and damp, and I was sitting on wet ground alone. I likely had cell reception, but I knew that summoning the local Land SAR (Search and Rescue) team and coordinating a stretcher evacuation down the mountain to Christchurch Hospital would take several hours. Despite the situation, I wasn\u2019t feeling scared but I had my hiking safety gear with me \u2014 I had my rescueMe PLB1<\/a> Personal Locator Beacon in my pack, giving me confidence that help wasn\u2019t too far away.<\/p>\n

Realizing that my options were limited, I activated the beacon. Within minutes, emergency personnel called to confirm my location, and a helicopter was dispatched. Thanks to the PLB, I was in the hospital within an hour, where I learned I had fractured both my tibia and fibula and severely sprained my ankle.<\/p>\n

If I hadn\u2019t brought hiking survival gear with me by carrying a PLB, I would have faced a long, cold wait and a difficult extraction. Although I felt a bit embarrassed by my clumsiness, my gratitude for the quick response was overwhelming.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll never tramp without an emergency beacon again, especially when I\u2019m out alone.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Realizing that my options were limited, I activated the beacon. Within minutes, emergency personnel called to confirm my location, and a helicopter was dispatched. Thanks to the PLB, I was in the hospital within an hour, where I learned I had fractured both my tibia and fibula and severely sprained my ankle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2779,"featured_media":8793,"template":"","survivor-stories-category":[15],"survivor-stories-cause":[42],"survivor-stories-event":[76],"survivor-stories-rescue":[47],"survivor-stories-terrain":[23],"class_list":["post-8794","survivor-stories","type-survivor-stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","survivor-stories-category-hunting","survivor-stories-cause-medical-emergency","survivor-stories-event-challenging-terrain","survivor-stories-rescue-local-search-and-rescue","survivor-stories-terrain-mountain"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow a Hiker\u2019s Preparedness on Mt. 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