David Brailsford, NZ –
On the 26th March I unfortunately had good cause to activate my GME MT410G PLB after sustaining multiple injuries in a 100m fall while hunting in South Westland.
I spend weeks per year in the mountains mostly hunting in high alpine areas. Have carried this Emergency Personal Locator Beacon many hundreds of kilometres in the past. Rescued by the Mt Cook SAR helicopter team and taken to Franz Josef. Stabilised by St Johns in Franz Josef and transferred to Grey Base hospital by Westland Rescue helicopter.
It’s been 2 weeks today since the fall and I’m up and getting around now. Expecting to be reasonably mobile in another 4 weeks time and will be going crazy to get away into the hills somewhere … all be it a very gentle outing.
Several close friends and family have bought PLBs in the last week. And I intend having more than one per party in the future as I had the PLB in my pack and the pack was torn to shreds in the fall. I was totally unable to move and my companion had climb down and search for the PLB amongst the debris from my pack that was spread over 40m from the base of the cliff I went over and then rolled on from.
Luckily the bag was quickly found once he climbed down another way, but he was at considerable risk to get to it and if we had both had one things would have been much simpler and quicker.
All images and content courtesy of David Brailsford