ACR Electronics: Hiker Calls for Safety Warnings Near Crib Goch Ridge after Woman Suffers Serious Fall

Simon Duringer was on the scene at Snowdon National Park on Bank Holiday weekend and activated his ACR Electronics beacon to alert rescue services 

An experienced hiker is calling for clearer warnings for people attempting the treacherous Crib Goch ridge in Snowdon National Park after he witnessed a serious accident recently.

Simon Duringer was negotiating the knife-edge ridge on a cold morning with the company ‘Adventures with Heroes’ and his Mountain Leader Anthony Evans, along with a number of other climbers out on Saturday, April 29th, when he saw the woman in her thirties fall about 30 metres before hitting the rock face.

Fortunately, Simon was carrying an ACR Electronics ResQLink+ Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) which he activated immediately, therefore transmitting his position to a worldwide network of search and rescue satellites.

Group leader Evans and others were able to reach the injured climber, while the Welsh Air Ambulance helicopter was on the scene quickly to set down a paramedic to attend to the casualty. Shortly afterwards, the larger UK Coastguard helicopter arrived and was able to lower another medic to help ensure the woman was stabilised and comfortable enough to be airlifted to the hospital. Her injuries were later confirmed by the Daily Post in Wales as ‘two broken wrists, two smashed vertebrae in her back, a fractured skull and facial injuries’.

Simon Duringer said: “The rescue in question could not have been carried out without a quick positional fix and, without the beacon and indeed my Mountain Leader’s expertise, it is very likely this incident would have proved fatal. I am immensely glad to have had the ResQLink+ PLB on hand and I confirmed with HM Coastguard afterwards that it helped, in their view, to make the rescue a success.

“The accident made me wonder whether ‘just anybody’, regardless of preparedness or experience, should be allowed to climb Snowdon via the Crib Goch ridge, unless supervised by qualified Mountain Leaders who are aware of the risks. It has sheer sides in places and starts at a height of 923 metres. It is not for the faint-hearted. At the very least, I would say that there needs to be some clear warnings in and around the Pen-y-Pass car park and just before the start of Crib Goch ridge, letting hikers know what lies ahead, and the level of exposure and hazard they are about to encounter.

“The day also reinforced the importance of carrying a PLB. Buying the ResQLink+ PLB was a big decision for me, but what price does one put on personal safety? I had previously been lost in the mountains of the Lake District and, whilst it was not enough to 'hit the button', it was enough of a wake-up call to make the purchase.

“A significant advantage of carrying the ACR Electronics product is that the company sends out a replacement beacon when a device has been activated in a rescue, which has provided me with excellent peace of mind. I am very active in the mountains and carrying the PLB means that I am covered in the event of an emergency wherever I am. It truly is an awesome piece of kit which I think all climbers should take everywhere with them.”

A PLB, such as the ACR Electronics ResQLink+, is an extremely affordable and compact device which uses GPS positioning, a powerful 406 MHz signal and 121.5 MHz homing capability to quickly and accurately relay the user’s position to rescue services across the world. It is small enough to be carried in a pocket, clipped to a backpack or stored inside an inflatable life jacket.

ACR Electronics replaces PLBs for free when they are used for a life-saving situation as part of its SurvivorClub initiative. The full story from Simon Duringer can be found here: http://simonduringer.com/on-my-travels/crib-goch/

A growing list of survivors who activated ACR Electronics beacons in a life-threatening emergency have joined the ACR SurvivorClub to share their stories and help raise awareness about the best practices to ensure safety, both on land and at sea.

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Note for editors

Simon Duringer has joined the ACR Electronics SurvivorClub. For more information about the ACR Electronics ResQLink+ PLB and how ACR Electronics beacons have helped other survivors, please contact Jules Riegal at j.riegal@saltwater-stone.com.

For further information, please contact:

ACR Media Relations

Mikele D’Arcangelo or Nichole Kalil

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or

Saltwater Stone

Jules Riegal

Tel: +44 (0)1202 669244

E-mail: j.riegal@saltwater-stone.com

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