The Value of InReach

[Wandering Sagebrush]

If you don’t travel with an InReach or similar device, the following incident that occurred here in Northeast Oregon is a great example of why you should consider doing so.  In addition to reporting an emergency, family and friends can also alert you to emergencies at home.

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TREE FALLING ON CAMPERS’ TENTS LEADS TO FATALITY AND SIGNIFICANT INTERAGENCY RESCUE EFFORT

UNION & WALLOWA COUNTIES — (Release from Union County Search and Rescue) In the early morning hours of Wednesday, June 14th, 2023, a party of eight rafters was camped along the bank of the Grande Ronde River approximately 5 miles downstream of the confluence of Wallowa and Grande Ronde Rivers in Union County when the top of a large dead tree fell and landed on two occupied tents, impacting and injuring three people. The tree was approximately 14 inches in diameter and broke some distance off the ground, impacting the occupants of the tents with extreme force as it fell and broke into pieces. One of the campers, a 61-year-old male, sustained very severe injuries, with a 54-year-old woman in the same tent sustaining injuries to her legs. A 23- year-old woman in an adjacent tent sustained a head injury that was likely prevented from being fatal only by a camp chair near her head that was crushed and reduced the force of impact. Despite valiant lifesaving efforts immediately initiated by the other members in the party, the male’s injuries ultimately proved to be fatal. 

While members of the group delivered first aid to the three injured parties, they also activated the emergency function of a Garmin InReach device, which resulted in a notification being sent to the Union County 911 Dispatch Center. The Garmin Emergency Response Center passed messages between the reporting party on scene and 911 dispatchers, and also provided the precise location of the incident. As information about the incident was progressively gathered and relayed to 911 dispatchers, Union County SAR was activated, and the La Grande and Elgin fire departments were notified of the medical emergency. 

Due to the remoteness of the accident site, which is most easily accessed by 15 miles of river travel by boat, the Union County SAR incident commander immediately requested a hoist-capable helicopter from the Oregon Army National Guard through the Oregon Emergency Management SAR Coordinator, and also requested mutual aid from the Wallowa County SAR swiftwater rescue team. During this time the La Grande Fire Department (LGFD), in coordination with SAR, arranged for an over-flight of the area with Life Flight Network. A local Life Flight helicopter immediately responded and attempted to transport LGFD paramedics to near the patients, but could not find a suitable landing zone near enough to the incident and had to return. 

While the Life Flight helicopter was performing its initial recon flight, a combined team of Union County and Wallowa County SAR swiftwater rescue technicians and LGFD paramedics responded to deploy down the Wallowa River from Highway 82 at Minam. This team then floated the 15 miles down the Wallowa and Grande Ronde Rivers to access the patients, reaching them approximately 2 hours after entering the river. At approximately the same time as the arrival of the SAR team on-scene, the Life Flight helicopter was able to return to the area and identify a suitable landing zone approximately 1.5 miles downstream from the accident location at an area known as Pine Bar. Due to tree canopy too dense to hoist patients by National Guard helicopter directly from the scene, the SAR initiated transport of the two surviving patients by boat to the landing zone at Pine Bar, and during this time the National Guard Blackhawk medivac helicopter also arrived on-scene from Salem. 

At approximately 11:30 am, both patients were transferred from a SAR raft to the two medivac helicopters and subsequently transported to hospitals in Lewiston, ID and Walla Walla, WA, with LGFD personnel flying with both helicopter crews to the destination hospitals. The interagency water rescue team then escorted the remaining members of the camping party and the body of the deceased approximately 22 miles down the Grande Ronde River to the nearest take-out at Powwatka Bridge in Wallowa County, where they were met by additional SAR team personnel and funeral home staff. 

This remote incident presented a tremendous amount of logistical challenges that were mitigated and overcome only due to the professional competence of those responding and the excellent interagency cooperation that we benefit from in Union County. The La Grande Fire Department, Union and Wallowa County SAR teams, Life Flight Network, Elgin Fire Department, sheriff’s office patrol deputies, and the Oregon National Guard personnel all integrated seamlessly to effect a rapid deployment of resources and efficient rescue on the ground, but at the same time many other agencies were assisting behind the scenes. Throughout the incident, a sheriff’s office patrol sergeant was positioned on a ridge above the river to function as a contingency communications relay, a Bureau of Land Management river ranger was in frequent contact with the incident commander (IC) providing detailed descriptions of the area and photos, and several U.S. Forest Service staff were also maintaining contact with the IC and assisting with preparations for contingency rescue plans if that became necessary. 

Sheriff Bowen and the management staff of Union County SAR offer our sincere condolences to the family of the deceased, wish a speedy recovery to those injured, and express our incredible gratitude to our partner agencies and dedicated SAR volunteers who leave their homes, jobs, and families to respond to incidents.

 

[Rolind]

I’ve had an in reach mini for the last several years and continue to use it when biking or camping out of cell range. I have never been impressed with its ability to send texts in a timely manner. The texting delay is often hrs even if there is not overhead tree cover. At this point I primarily carry it for its sos function which thankfully I have never needed. I also wonder if this device will also be made obsolete by cell phones.  The latest iPhone has a sat based sos function, but at least for now it is just a sos sent to emergency service with no way to send details of the emergency or for emergency response teams to reply.

[CRM]

Never go anywhere without my SPOT tracker.

[John E Davies]

I carry an inReach always, it lives and charges in the Ollie when not in the truck. I send multiple daily pre-set text messages, for example “Routine check, stopped for the night”, and they all go out within a couple of minutes. The roof and walls do not appear to limit the signal acquisition. I did test the location using tape to make sure before installing the charge mount. It was one of my first mods.

I also subscribe to the basic $40 Search and Rescue insurance. I am sure that the Oregon rescue mentioned above was an extremely costly one. If I climbed cliffs, I would definitely feel that $300 for the High Risk version was a good investment. 

Garmin buy SAR ins

FYI it only covers one person, the buyer of the policy, if your spouse is with you often, please consider her safety too!!!

John Davies

Spokane WA

[topgun2]

I always thought that these devices were mainly for those that traveled to risky or wildly out of the way places.

However, I finally realized that even though only being 4 miles up a stream wasn't really all that far away from "normal" civilization, it certainly was/is far enough away that a good possibility exists that no one will find you in the event you do need help.  All it takes is a sprained ankle, a "widow maker" falling out of a tree, a snake bite, a sharp rock, etc., etc..  So, a few years ago I bought a small InReach Mini.

Like John above, I too have not had "issues" with the sending/receiving of messages.  And, the "tracking" feature is virtually done in real time such that people (think wife and very good friends) can see exactly where you are located at any moment (as long as you have the InReach tracking turned on).

Having said all this - I grossly under estimated the number of times the InReach is used to help people in what I would call normal situations.  Examples of this are vehicle breakdowns where you would think there is cell phone service but not so much, sudden illness while out on the road, unexpected traffic jams and/or accidents, bee stings, etc..  Garmin has published statistics on the types of "emergency" calls they have responded to and I was very surprised by the types of things that I had not even considered.

These devices aren't what I'd call "cheap" (about $350 for the device and then $35/month for the service) but I recall an old motorcyclist saying - "if you got a $10 head then wear a $10 helmet".  In addition, the peace of mind that you can give to those that care about you is worth the price.  Or, another way to look at it is to look at the peace and quiet you can get by simply letting someone know that you'll be a bit late due to traffic or from having a late start.

Bill

[VBistro]

I bought a mini a few years ago when I used to camp solo in my van, deep in the middle of nowhere. It comes with us on every trip. I also take it with me on every mountain bike ride (even with friends since we are often quite remote) and every single scuba dive.  We have a second one that I only activate occasionally, and it usually goes with my son when he travels to the mountains skiing.  There are still quite a few passes here that have no cell coverage, but DO have regular snow and rock slides.

I usually keep it on the basic plan, but will occasionally upgrade when I know we will be out for a long time without any cell coverage.  It’s inexpensive peace of mind.

mb

[Rolind]

It’s good to hear all the positive reviews of the inreach.  Sounds like I need to play around with mine and see if I can improve response time. If anyone has any suggestions I am all in for them.

[topgun2]

On the few occasions that I've had to contact Garmin for help I've found them to be pretty good.

Bill

p.s.  Garmin isn't the only device of this type on the market.  Perhaps for a different specific use, there just may be a better unit for that particular purpose at a more attractive price.

[Wandering Sagebrush]

I’ve experienced excellent customer service from Garmin.  Give them a call and talk through the issues you’re having.

[John E Davies]

FYI, a Garmin month to month subscription can be “paused” at any time, then restarted without penalties. Though it is like a fire extinguisher, you never know when you will need it, so I do not recommend this. Under special circumstances it would be useful.

John Davies

Spokane  WA.

[Rolind]

Thanks all, I updated software today and the inreach seems much more responsive. I also suspect tree cover may be an issue.

[MAX Burner]

On 6/15/2023 at 3:14 PM, Wandering Sagebrush said:

when the top of a large dead tree fell and landed on two occupied tents, impacting and injuring three people.

Back in the day, that's what was referred to as a, "widow maker"...   Good to scan your area of operations before you decide to bivouac.  We've seen this exact event occur at a campsite in the Sierra Nevadas years ago...  Not pretty...

[MAX Burner]

4 hours ago, John E Davies said:

Though it is like a fire extinguisher, you never know when you will need it,

OK.  We're all various degrees of "wanderers" with our OTTs, right?  A major concern with our Casablanca planning process is: "One (of something) is None (of that particular item)".  Taking  @John E Davies fire extinguisher thought a step ahead...  "It's like a parachute.  If you're in a situation where you need one and don't have one, it'll be the last time you'll ever need one."

It's all about responsible contingency planning, IMO.   Just say'n...

[Patriot]

I may look into purchasing the InReach 2, just in case we are ever “out of reach” with normal comm. 👍🏻

Patriot🇺🇸

[MAX Burner]

1 minute ago, Patriot said:

I may look into purchasing the InReach 2

Good move, Patriot.  Adds a layer of "piece-of-mind" into your routine OTT adventures... OBTW:  there are many other actions that fit under that category,  HA!

[Chukarhunter]

Unlike many  satellites that are geostationary, the satellites used by the InReach are continuously orbiting the earth.  That is why the InReach works almost anywhere in the world.  The InReach has to wait until one of the orbiting satellites passes overhead in a line of sight before it can send and receive.  In the middle of a miles wide open flat field, the InReach can see so much of the sky that it can almost always locate a satellite quickly.  However, in a narrow canyon for instance, it will eventually see a satellite, but it may take considerable time before a satellite passes over the narrow window to the sky above the canyon.  

If you carry it on your waist or in a backpack, your body will be blocking part of the sky as well.  I have found that the fastest way to get an important message out when you can't see the whole sky is to place the InReach  wherever it can see the most sky, then move away from it for awhile.

[Patriot]

My bride and I both have iPhone 14’s which do come with Satellite SOS. I thought this review was worth sharing as this guy does a decent comparison between the 14 and the InReach 2.
I guess the question is do you really need both?

Patriot🇺🇸

 

[John E Davies]

13 hours ago, Chukarhunter said:

 

If you carry it on your waist or in a backpack, your body will be blocking part of the sky as well.  I have found that the fastest way to get an important message out when you can't see the whole sky is to place the InReach  wherever it can see the most sky, then move away from it for awhile.

The best place for a satellite device while hiking or biking is in a pouch secured to one of your pack straps up high, near your collar bone. The Mini is a better choice for this use since it will fit into most phone pouches. The full sized one is harder to accommodate. Though these have been out long enough that there are lots of aftermarket options like this cool Backpack Buddy on Etsy.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1174448909/backpack-buddy-garmin-inreach-mini

That looks very cool too. My full sized unit is in a big Camelback phone pouch (from when phones were big); I have used that since I carried a SPOT while dirt biking in the mountains decades ago. Gee that makes me feel aged.

The pack is my light duty hike/ bug-out bag (including moderate first aid stuff like clotting agent and inflatable splint, and spare ammo). It always rides in the truck directly behind the driver seat, with the inReach pouch, well… in reach 😉 in case I am in an accident and get incapacitated.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[BBL]

14 hours ago, Patriot said:

My bride and I both have iPhone 14’s which do come with Satellite SOS. I thought this review was worth sharing as this guy does a decent comparison between the 14 and the InReach 2.
I guess the question is do you really need both?

I covered this topic quite thoroughly in my Conversation on Communications presentation at the rally.  I use the Garmin 66i with in-Reach.  In short, the iPhone 14 is not world-wide at this point, doesn't work very well in foliage and, it's a phone. Not nearly as rugged as a Garmin product. 

One example I gave was from a couple that was up at the Arctic Circle (iPhones won't work in AK) and had an iReach mini when their Sprinter van went into a degraded mode and there certainly wasn't a Mercedes dealer nearby.  They text her father in Austin who looked it up on the internet, came up with a solution, texted it back. They used their toothbrush and some contact cleaner to clean out the EGR valve and were back in business.

Ultimately and individual call but I prefer worldwide reliability and a rugged device. 

Safe travels all,

Brian

[Patriot]

30 minutes ago, Brian and Brandelyne said:

I covered this topic quite thoroughly in my Conversation on Communications presentation at the rally.  I use the Garmin 66i with in-Reach.  In short, the iPhone 14 is not world-wide at this point, doesn't work very well in foliage and, it's a phone. Not nearly as rugged as a Garmin product. 

One example I gave was from a couple that was up at the Arctic Circle (iPhones won't work in AK) and had an iReach mini when their Sprinter van went into a degraded mode and there certainly wasn't a Mercedes dealer nearby.  They text her father in Austin who looked it up on the internet, came up with a solution, texted it back. They used their toothbrush and some contact cleaner to clean out the EGR valve and were back in business.

Ultimately and individual call but I prefer worldwide reliability and a rugged device. 

Safe travels all,

Brian

All good points, and thoughts!
We will likely stay with the iPhone 14 with satellite capability for now based on our needs. If I saw a real need I certainly would consider the InReach mini. Right now I don’t. It’s a piece of fairly “cool looking” expensive tech with a monthly fee that would sit idle more than likely ever get used by us. We won’t be traveling to the Arctic Circle any time soon. Brrrrr…🥶😊

Patriot🇺🇸

 

[BBL]

11 minutes ago, Patriot said:

expensive tech with a monthly fee

That's probably a good approach. Apple is investing heavily into GlobalStar and, IMO, they will likely purchase that company before it is all over. Once that two year "Free" period is over, I will be very interested in what Apple charges per month to recoup their investment in the satellite company. When that happens, I would bet "most" iPhone users will not opt for the plan.

Just my $0.02 worth.

BL

[Patriot]

1 hour ago, Brian and Brandelyne said:

That's probably a good approach. Apple is investing heavily into GlobalStar and, IMO, they will likely purchase that company before it is all over. Once that two year "Free" period is over, I will be very interested in what Apple charges per month to recoup their investment in the satellite company. When that happens, I would bet "most" iPhone users will not opt for the plan.

Just my $0.02 worth.

BL

Yes the Apple fee remains to be seen for sure. If they keep it reasonable it will sell, if not I agree with you most won’t opt in. I am willing to wait and see how far Apple takes their SAT/Comm. 👍🏻👍🏻 

Patriot🇺🇸

[BBL]

In my opinion, one other serious downfall with the iPhone setup is the only choice given is SOS. When you find yourself in a bind with no cell service you can hit the SOS button and text only with Apple. IF you have identified people to contact in case of emergency, Apple will notify and relay certain information.

With inReach, I can text anyone I want to, send them my location with GPS accuracy, they can track my progress on a private weblink. All this without even hitting the SOS button.

I think there is value in being able to communicate and collaborate with others in lieu of calling for help.

Brian

[John Dorrer]

We have had the Garmin-Inreach Explorer for about 8 years. It is peace of mind. You never know when you might need it. In the winter we stop the plan and start back up before our first trip in late February.