Scorn for not having a PLB - your input

Can't find it easily either, but there was a story of a pair of climbers, I think they climbed to remember a deceased mate, one of them fell down, and only the PLB got him in hospital quick enough. Was helicopter rescue, on the South Island. Some kind of crazy terrain, steep saw tooth ridge.

Cheers. I'm looking for tramping stories rather than climbing. Different culture and risk suite.

No details but That guy lost in near Auckland a few years ago although there was suggestions at the time that he was trying not to be found. The other side of the fence A guy last year eastern tararuas who was healthy but delayed set off his beacon as he knew his wife would have raised the alarm thereby turning a search into a 10 minute helicopter ride not a full callout. He got chastised for using the beacon

I'm not sure how many of the external links still work but up until a few years ago I wrote recurring blog posts with gripes about media coverage around plans, with some media references, both concerning people carrying them or not carrying them and activations that were criticised or not criticised. IMHO media, and sometimes SAR officials, sacrifice context of they see it as a means to an end to get a message out. Sorry in advance for the overlapping topics. I tend to see all the SAR media coverage as interrelated. If it helps at all... http://www.windy.gen.nz/index.php/archives/1954 http://www.windy.gen.nz/index.php/archives/2517 http://www.windy.gen.nz/index.php/archives/3325 http://www.windy.gen.nz/index.php/archives/5875

maritime NZ and i think the police keep telling people to get beacons, how they'd make searches a lot easier, they can tend to release statements when there's been a search for people with no beacon...

The story that prompted me to get one was of the guy who got his leg wedged in a crack in some boulders and his companions could not free him. They had a beacon and the rescue crew came with crowbars. That made me realise it’s not just my own safety to consider. The story should be easy to find. Here it is, might not fit your needs as there’s no direct message to carry a beacon or criticism for not. http://i.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/9700146/Rescuers-brute-force-frees-pinned-tramper

izogi - that's really useful, thank you! I've often come across your blog when researching trips :) Will give those a good read now but already looking highly relevant - the Nelson Mail editorial especially.