Determining the fine line of activating a PLB

just trying to imagine SAR's reaction to that explanation

With the information available at the time activating would of been a perfectly ration thing to do. The reality though was that the info we had wasnt quite right and OP was not lost at all.

I've been in a handful of situations where the group has separated and then had the nerve-racking experience of their not re-joining us because they went a slightly different way e.g. the longer and more obvious 4WD track than the tramping track that leads to the same destination. We usually wait and hope for the best and only on one occasion did it not turn out OK. That was when there was an agreed separation and strategy but the individual broke the agreement and injured himself. We had a back-up plan to check to make sure he had got out to the roadend and when the check revealed he hadn't signed back in the hutbook, DoC were alerted and a search commenced at first light the next day to reveal him lying injured and more seriously, dehydrated. Knowing what we know, we still wouldn't do it any differently with other people as he had made an agreement and then broke it with the fairly predictable consequence. His choice and we found out he was unable to stick to the agreement which impacted on our reputation with the most scurrilous and inaccurate interpretations promulgated. But hey, it made a great story I have to admit.