Safety

Sea kayakers use personal locator beacon to get plucked from the waves in Alaska.

We came across this story from McMurdo, makers of the Fast Find Personal Locator Beacon (PLB).

Two kayakers facing seven foot waves and 35 knot winds used their UK manufactured McMurdo Fast Find Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) to aid rescuers in locating them.

On 30^th July the US Coast Guard coordinated the rescue of the two Israeli kayakers using the assistance of 58 foot fishing vessel Vigilant four miles southwest of Gore Point in Alaska after severe weather prohibited the men from paddling to shore.

The kayakers, who were eight days into a kayaking trip around the area, sent out a VHF call, which was received by local fishing vessels and relayed to the Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center in Juneau.   At the same time the two men turned on their McMurdo Fast Find MAX G which assisted the Coast Guard helicopter in locating the area they were in.

Air Station Kodiak launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew which located the kayakers and a rescue swimmer was lowered to the men to confirm their condition. The men and their kayaks were brought aboard the 58-foot fishing vessel Vigilant with the help of the Coast Guard rescue swimmer.

The kayakers do not wish to be named but reported to McMurdo their praise of the Fast Find MAX G: “We are confident that a PLB is an essential part of safety equipment in any kayak expedition. We definitely wouldn't go without one. In our rescue McMurdo Fast Find MAX G proved itself as a very reliable device in the worst sea conditions. We are happy that we chose it.”