Archive for April 15th, 2009
Personal Locator Beacons are small and light weight devices used to locate anyone anywhere on the planet. Mainly used by sports/outdoor enthusiasts and hunters, these PLBs are fast becoming very popular with the elderly. Pilots, boaters, hunters, hikers, campers, etc…, have used these devices for the protection they provide if one gets injured or lost. However, elderly people are realizing the benefits of these personal locator beacons as well.
The majority of rescues with personal locator beacons involve the elderly. Anyone can benefit from the use of these incredible devices but the they have helped our older generation more than anyone else. The most common reason recently for the activation of a PLB is for the rescue of an elderly person who got lost or injured while hiking outdoors. Many of these hikes were simply in the local area but were in such a place that it may have been sometime before anyone happened to pass by or notice the individual in distress.
By simply pushing the button to alert rescue services, the person needing assistance just has to wait until rescue crews arrive. This happens very quickly when it is in an area not far from home or a metropolitan area. A personal locator beacon, purchased one time with no recurring costs, can be a very cheap lifesaver.