GPS Device Helps Save Fallen Rock Climber

by Peter Mychalcewycz on April 14, 2009 at 06:11 PM

If you think GPS-equipped devices are strictly for bad drivers or novice hikers, you may want to reconsider.

Edmonton, Alberta's Josh Brown, 21, was rescued last week, and is now recovering, from a climbing accident that saw him fall close to thirty feet onto hard ground, according to CTV Calgary. Brown, who suffered fractured ribs and vertebrae, was climbing in Banff National Park when he slipped and faulty equipment failed to prevent his fall. Fortunately, he and his friend Eric Klaszus had brought along a GPS locator, just in case such an event occurred.

After hearing the fall and finding his friend, Klaszus pressed the emergency button on the GPS device. The locator allowed rescuers to find the pair's exact location, and gave them a general idea of what they were going to find when they got there (after all, the pair was climbing in an area of the park called "Phantom Crag").

GPS locators are essential for anyone planning to explore any place that cell signals may not reach. And don't think you're too cool to take one with you. Unless by "cool," you mean "at the bottom of an avalanche." [From: CTV Calgary]

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Tags: disasters, gps, gps locator, GpsLocator, rescue

Comments

RobertApr 14th 2009 10:38PM

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Gee, I wonder how much it cost to rescue this guy? Don't you think we should tax rock climbers for their cost to society?? I pay $5.54 in taxes for a pack of cigarettes because of how much I supposedly cost society in health care costs!! What's good for the goose...........

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JApr 15th 2009 2:33AM

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Robert, Your a douche. This was a real emergency, and without that GPS and that rescue, these people could have died. Emergencies are emergencies. You choose to kill yourself smoking and do it repeatedly in public. Pay the price.

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Robert TosiApr 15th 2009 10:22AM

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Liberals like you are the worst kind of cancer. First off, your comments make no sense (typical for a liberal) because, according to the cig nazis, I'm costing society more money in health care (how , I don't know, since I have my own insurance) And anyone without an agenda knows the second-hand smoke myth is just that, a myth. If it were that bad nobody would have made it to 50 back when almost all adults smoked. And what's the difference how you waste tax money with your behavior? You're still doing it!! Not to mention the cost in human lives these "daredevils" use up!! Rescuers die all the time getting these selfish jerks out of trouble, be it on a mountain (it's been done guys, get over yourselves!!) or in the ocean (see prior remark) Australia was considering leaving any fools who get in trouble out in the sea to fend for themselves if they were not conducting any business out there (you know, the kind that actually benefits society instead of arrogantly abusing it) Hypocritical liberals are the bane of our world. It's always "Do as I say, not as I do" with you guys. THE BOTTOM LINE: That jerk on the mountain cost that state a LOT of money, we should tax ALL dangerous activities, not just the ones (smoking, fast food) liberals deem "politically incorrect". So there, douche (a very mature comment )

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sgentilejrApr 15th 2009 6:41AM

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I totally agree with Robert's very logical posting. It is a burden on society to have to pay the costs of searches and rescues for mountain climbers or rock climbers or even hikers who get lost in the woods. It amounts to the rest of us having to pay the costs of their recreation activities when things go wrong.
While there is substantial proof that smoking cigarettes will end one's life sooner, there is absolutely no proof that indicates the medical costs are higher to die from smoking compared to death from any other cause. Actually dying slowly from old age with one body organ slowly failing after another is far more expensive since 70 cents out of every one dollar spent on medical costs inside the USA are spent on those people who are over age 70.. In fact the longer we all live the higher the pension costs, health care costs and nursing home costs go because the more years those items have to be paid for if the person is healthy and lives longer.. So the people who volunteer to die 5 years younger on average because they smoke are actually saving us money on those 5 years of social security costs, pension costs and old age nursing home costs by their dying at a younger age. By smokers dying younger it also crates more job openings, which helps to lower unemployment costs. If everyone died by age 60 there would be no unemployment and no pension or social security costs.

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RobertApr 15th 2009 10:37AM

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Excellent post!! I forgot to put that in my original posting. I've mentioned that to people ever since I read about it in an article by William F. Buckley about 10 years ago.Of course the die-hards refuse to believe it even though it makes a lot of sense

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RobertApr 15th 2009 10:40AM

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