406 distress beacon registrations in December 2020 were up almost 30 percent on the previous year, with more than 2000 registered.
The up-tick in beacon registrations in December was in line with RCCNZ’s noticing more activity in January, as more Kiwis took to the outdoors over the holiday period.
In five varied instances there was a helicopter with the people within the hour.
Many people find cell phones have no coverage when they need help, he said.
“Cell phone coverage is patchy, but a beacon is picked up by satellite coverage – it makes a big difference when it really matters.”
He also said that people should think about having a personal locator beacon on them even when they didn’t anticipate being in an isolated area.
“People are also starting to use e-bikes and going on tracks which might lead to accidents. The same goes for people using kayaks and stand-up paddle boards, who may not think of themselves as boaters but can easily end up being dragged out to sea by currents and winds before they know it.”
Last year, RCCNZ tasked rescuers to respond to distress beacons 275 times – 62 on the water, 196 on land, 12 on aircraft and five classified as unconfirmed.
This was only slightly down on the previous year, primarily due to the pause in boating and outdoor activity during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Read more here:
https://www.nationaltribune.com.au/beacon-registrations-rise-as-more-kiwis-take-to-outdoors-27-january/