TerraFix™ PLB Aids Teenage Hikers in Distress

Four 19-year-old hikers became the first people to be rescued on land, outside of Alaska, by a TerraFix™ 406 MHz GPS PLB. Three of the hikers had fallen into a creek while on a six-day backcountry hike in Olympic National Park in Washington State. After pulling their companions out of the swift moving water, all four youth were wet, had damp gear and had no means to build a fire. Weather conditions were deteriorating: 45-degree temperatures, non-stop rain and gale winds.

 Later that day when two in the party showed signs of hypothermia, the group assessed their situation as grave with imminent danger, and set off their TerraFix™ PLB. Within minutes, an orbiting satellite picked up their distress signal. Vital information, pinpointing the hikers’ location, was relayed to the U.S. Coast Guard District 13 Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) in Seattle, Washington.

In Seattle’s G.I. Joe’s store, Jason Perkizas (right) shows his father, Steve, the procedure to activate the TerraFix™ 406 GPS PLB

Since the PLB was registered, the rescue center was able to contact the parents, who had rented the beacon for their son, and confirmed that four teens (three boys and a girl) were on a 17-mile trek along the western coast of Washington. Steve Perkizas said he and his wife rented the PLB because they wanted some kind of protection for their son, Jason, and they realized a GPS alone would not alert someone if help was needed.

On behalf of ACR Electronics, Inc., left to right, Kevin Stoltz, president of PLB Rentals, presents a TerraFix™ 406 GPS PLB to Steve and Jason Perkizas.

 With identification confirmed, the RCC in Seattle launched a HH-65 helicopter from Port Angeles, which arrived on scene and located the group who had set up camp near the ocean’s edge. The helicopter could not land on the beach or drop a swimmer because of high tides, strong winds and heavy rains. Park rangers were dispatched and eventually met up with the hiking party. They treated two teens for mild hypothermia.

Learn more about how these ACR Beacons work!