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Yuppie 9-1-1
November 13, 2009 - 12:02 PM | by: Dan Springer
Emergency responders around the U.S. are concerned about a growing trend, a practice they've dubbed 'yuppie 9-1-1. It's when someone with limited survival skills goes out into the wilderness and then relies on technology as a safety net. Locator beacons that hit global positioning satellites are increasingly being taken into the remote back country. And while the devices have saved lives, there have also been a number of false alarms and calls for help where there really was no emergency at all. Search and rescue leaders say hikers who cry wolf cost taxpayers money and put other lives in real danger.
The typical misuse involves inexperienced hikers who get cold or caught by some bad weather. Instead of waiting out the storm, they hit the 9-1-1 button. But one case in Arizona was an extreme abuse. A father was camping with his son. He hit the S.O.S. on his GPS locator three times in three days. The last time was because he was deyhdrated and drank from a stream. He panicked because the water tasted salty. Search teams did find the pair and after the third 'rescue' they order the two out of the wilderness.
Conversely, the units have been credited with saving lives. Ed Cooley was taking photographs of the Fall colors deep in the Ozarks when he fell 30 feet breaking several bones and getting pinned in shallow water under a tree branch. He used his SPOT satellite GPS messenger to call for help. Hours later he was rescued.
Authorities also say that the technology can help shorten the length of searches by allowing them to pinpoint the missing. But the problem comes in when inexperienced people use the devices as a safety net. There is no substitute for being prepared.
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