Tumpline PHOTO: SHANE PASSMORE-CRAWFORD “TAXI!”
Beacons of Hope NOT JUST PRICEY TOYS FOR THE HARD-CORE, PLBS ARE THE NEW FLOAT PLAN
FIVE YEARS AGO, Bill Ness tried to buy a personal locator beacon (PLB) for a ca- noe trip on the Spanish River in north- ern Ontario, but he had a hard time find- ing any stores that would sell him one. Today it’s a different story. Te
number of these high-tech gadgets is skyrocketing. PLBs are hand-held devices that send a distress signal to search and rescue centres via satellite. Te National Search and Rescue Secre- tariat (NSS), which manages Canada’s beacon registry, has registered twice as many new PLBs so far this year than in all of 2006. One reason for the jump in populari-
ty is the spring approval of the ACR Mi- croFix. Tis new PLB is small enough to slip into a PFD pocket and has a built- in GPS that broadcasts its exact loca- tion to rescuers. Aging boomers are helping to drive
the trend. “I’m one of a group of peo- ple who are becoming more aware of their mortality,” admits the 57-year-
10 n C ANOE ROOT S fall 2007
old Ness, a member of the Wilderness Canoe Association. Another PLB supporter is Bill Lay-
man of La Ronge, Saskatchewan, who spends most of every summer in the Arctic with a satellite phone and VHF radio in his pack and a PLB in his life
allows keen PLB owners to provide details about upcoming trips. Layman includes his proposed route, beginning and end dates, the colours of his canoe and tent, and any other information that could help would-be rescuers. “People up to a few years ago were very
You can put the new smal l beacons r ight on your PFD. I t ’s your las t l ine of defence.
vest. Layman advises canoeists to get one of the newer 406 MHz PLBs and register it with the NSS. Te 406 MHz PLBs broadcast a unique registration number that allows rescuers to iden- tify the beacon, pinpoint its location to within 100 metres if it has built-in GPS, and look up the owner’s registra- tion file which should include emer- gency contact numbers that rescuers can call to get more information. Te beacon registration form also
much of the feeling that if they went out into the bush they had to accept the risks,” says Ness. “But how much of that macho attitude was due to the fact that there were no options? Within the past five years satellite phones have become common and attitudes have changed. Te problem with the sat phone is you leave it in the boat and boats can get away from you. You can put the new small beacons right on your PFD. It’s your last line of defence.”—Tim Shuff
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