406 Beacon Hire | 406 GPS Personal Locator Beacon Hire

On 27th Dec, in the middle of the night, we helped save a hunter in a life threatening situation and we couldn’t be more thrilled. The system works!

Sjoerd Bakker from Christchurch rented a 406 GPS Personal Locator Beacon from us, 406 Beacon Hire, to hunt the Kelly Range near Arthur’s Pass. Sjoerd followed a Thar to the top of the range then couldn’t find the track. Knowing where he wanted to go he tried to go around the range but slipped down through the scrub.  At times he could see the track but couldn’t get back up to it. He tried the creek bed  and at times floated on his pack in the river. Cold, wet and trapped in a steep sided ravine of 7 Mile Creek he couldn’t get out of, Sjoerd wrapped himself in two survival blankets and set off the locator beacon sometime after 4pm.

Due to the steepness of the ravine the stationary satellites were unable to pick up the signal. It was 11pm when an orbiting satellite and an Air New Zealand Airbus returning to Christchurch alerted the NZ Rescue Co-ordination Center who called us to confirm details.

A West Coast Rescue Helicopter, equipped with night vision goggles, just returned from another 406 beacon rescue was sent immediately. They were able to locate where the beacon was but could not get near or find Sjoerd, who was huddled between rocks and unaware of the helicopter due to the river noise.

The Helicopter crew let Sjoerd’s family, who were staying at Dillons Hut, know what was happening. At first light the Helicopter returned and Sjoerd was winched to safety, hypothermic, scratched and bruised but alive.

The Bakker family say the helicopter crew were fantastic and without the beacon they would have lost a family member. Sjoerd said it was very comforting to watch the green light on the beacon flash all night long. 406 Beacon Hire would like to thank the NZ Rescue Co-ordination Centre for  a great result and keeping us informed all the way through.  

The 406 beacons save lives and save hours of manpower involved in searches for missing people. Please carry one next time you are heading into the wilderness.

Kelly Haybittle
406 Beacon Hire Ltd
www.406beaconhire.co.nz