Canadian diver and buddy rescued near Apo Island, Philippines

[DandyDon]

Thanks for this. The ones I've looked at are overwhelmingly from the first world: US, Australia, New Zealand, France and Portugal, though I did see one rescue of a boat in Venezuela. I also didn't see any divers.

I don't know as I didn't open them all, and I gather you didn't either. You can look further or not, your call, whatever.

It's a fact that most Indonesian dive boats don't have radio, charts, mobile phone signal or significant reserves of fuel, let alone GPS; it's a fact that the majority of local-level SAR infrastructure is non-existent, with police and army boats routinely broken and rarely fueled; it's a fact that Indonesian marine maps are routinely wrong and islands have inconsistent names.

They claim it's admirable: Indonesian SAR team rated among the best in the world – Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia | Washington D.C.

You may want to call him a liar, but whatever. If I have an emergency, I like for my local embassy to be notified and hope they will call for whatever help they can. USCG, USNavy, and other boats with radios do pass thru there. Ok, it may not save me, but it's my best attempt.

I wish that everyone carried them in their cars, hiking packs, and when they dive - in attached canisters. Really rather cheap over the life of the unit. I just read this morning that a nearby elderly couple missing since last month was found in their car where they froze to death in New Mexico - needlessly.

True for the old Nautilus Lifeline (NLL) on high failure rate, but not on the new one, that is called Marine Rescue GPS (MRG), that has 5 year warranty battery life & half the size of the old NLL. The MRG is now a bit smaller than the size of my old camera case containing my PLB1.

The MRG, although has no longer 2-way radio capability, it has both DSC & AIS.

Ok, fine - so what do they have that PLBs don't have then. Use words, please; I can't keep up on all the initials.

Since we are talking about Nautilus Marine Rescue GPS, I want to provide info related to the Belize Aggressors. The Belize Aggressors have Nautilus Lifeline Radios (NLL) (original discontinued version) for rent to passengers at $25/week. The yachts are equipped with DSC only as it was the technology compatible with the original NLL. They do not have AIS.

The old ones, with a high failure rate, that broadcast only as far as you can see. If that's what you like, fine.

 

[Dogbowl]

The old ones, with a high failure rate, that broadcast only as far as you can see. If that's what you like, fine.

Please don’t get all huffy and puffy. Many SB readers can think for themselves as to what product or products work for them, after reading so many posts on here.

Plus, I was just relaying info about what was available to Belize Aggressor passengers.

Why are PLB advocates so adamant that the PLB is the be-all-and-end-all of life saving devices? Why can’t they be considered as an important part of the whole package? Why can’t someone buy the first and second generation Nautilus products in addition to a PLB with canister, if they so choose?

I just wanna say “Geesh!”

Many here have provided very, very useful info about these devices and I am very, very thankful.

 

[DandyDon]

Please don’t get all huffy and puffy. Many SB readers can think for themselves as to what product or products work for them, after reading so many posts on here.

Plus, I was just relaying info about what was available to Belize Aggressor passengers.

Why are PLB advocates so adamant that the PLB is the be-all-and-end-all of life saving devices? Why can’t they be considered as an important part of the whole package? Why can’t someone buy the first and second generation Nautilus products in addition to a PLB with canister, if they so choose?

I just wanna say “Geesh!”

Many here have provided very, very useful info about these devices and I am very, very thankful.

Ok, that's why I said " If that's what you like, fine."

 

[Dan]

I don't know as I didn't open them all, and I gather you didn't either. You can look further or not, your call, whatever.


They claim it's admirable: Indonesian SAR team rated among the best in the world – Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia | Washington D.C.

You may want to call him a liar, but whatever. If I have an emergency, I like for my local embassy to be notified and hope they will call for whatever help they can. USCG, USNavy, and other boats with radios do pass thru there. Ok, it may not save me, but it's my best attempt.

I wish that everyone carried them in their cars, hiking packs, and when they dive - in attached canisters. Really rather cheap over the life of the unit. I just read this morning that a nearby elderly couple missing since last month was found in their car where they froze to death in New Mexico - needlessly.


Ok, fine - so what do they have that PLBs don't have then. Use words, please; I can't keep up on all the initials.


The old ones, with a high failure rate, that broadcast only as far as you can see. If that's what you like, fine.

MRG that link to the boat emergency radio will get response from the boat much sooner than the PLB.

With PLB & MRG together, you increase your chances of being rescued than being recovered. Now you have 2 independent rescue devices to use. Each of them has battery life of 24 hours, so by using them in tandem, you’ll increase the active distress signal accordingly.

If I found myself lost at sea, within minutes I would first trigger the MRG. The boat, which this MRG distress signal is “link” to, will immediately pick up & identify that I’m as one of their guest, is indistress, still alive, not drown, when they find out that I’m not accounted for in their list of divers to be picked up by the dingy.

If after 3-4 hours I don’t see any boat in the horizon, then I pull out the big gun and launch the PLB1, sending distress signal straight up to the sky.

 

[DandyDon]

MRG stands for Marine Rescue GPS, the new mini Nautilus - ok.

PLB stands for Personal Locator Beacon, which google and Wikipedia can recognize.

I still don't know what DSC & AIS stand for.

 

[Dogbowl]

MRG stands for Marine Rescue GPS, the new mini Nautilus - ok.

PLB stands for Personal Locator Beacon, which google and Wikipedia can recognize.

I still don't know what DSC & AIS stand for.

VHF, DSC, AIS and EPIRB

 

[Kevrumbo]

Kev,

Has there ever been a single instance in the Philippines or Indonesia of a PLB rescuing a diver?

I see your point about taking one after updating your travel info but I’ve dived in both areas and agree with PH that even if you successfully alerted someone, it would serve no purpose. They simply don’t have the means to look for you.

I agree with @PygmySeahorse here.

I’ve tried to ignore this thread because there comes a point where you realize someone is so set in their view that their mind is no longer “open” to others’ view, even when facts are presented. Their view of the situation is THE correct view and anyone else’s is “you get what you deserve”? Really?

I don’t think anyone is arguing that you shouldn’t carry a PLB. I don’t think anyone is saying your “preparation” plans are foolish. In fact, many people thanked you and said they were “smart” plans. At least I did. I would follow what you suggested to increase my chances of being found.

But I think you’ve missed the point that’s being made all along, which is:

A PLB has its limits, especially in places like Indo and the Philippines.

That is all.

Again . . .Your GPS position is fixed, tracked and known; your identity is actually known; and your Emergency Contact verifies that you are traveling abroad and the owner of this PLB activated signal.

It would be criminally negligent and inhumane to do nothing, and justifying it as @tridacna said, ". ..that even if you successfully alerted someone, it would serve no purpose. They simply don’t have the means to look for you." And if @PygmySeahorse wants to argue and debate this pessimistic hyperbole as fact:

. . .My point is really simple: if there is no one in reach equipped to receive and act on the position, the signal is damn-near useless. These things work great when the USCG can pick it up. They won't work in most of Indonesia and the Philippines.

Fancy language like "activate your contingency resources" means absolutely jack if your contingency resources turn out to be two local boat captains who can't read a chart or communicate with their home base, a marine commando unit 150km away with their long-range boat out of action, and some arse-coverer in Jakarta/Manila lying to your embassy about the massive SAR efforts taking place around the island because they're too embarrassed to admit they don't have gas/spare parts/men/phone signal. If this sounds like exaggeration to you, can I suggest you spend some time in the places you're currently arguing about?

-->then she's absolutely correct about her own delusion and therefore rightfully gets what she deserves ("really" @Dogbowl ).

The counterpoint is that a PLB's limitation is not at all as fatalistic as being marooned on the far side of the moon.

As @Dan_T , @DandyDon and @IyaDiver pointed out above as well, the more strategic resources and emergency networks that you can set up beforehand with a designated Emergency Contact within the COSPAS/SARSAT system, the more options and solutions you have for a timely rescue on PLB activation, even in alleged underserved SAR asset regions like Indonesia and the Philippines.
(A commercial freighter/tanker/container ship for example -although hundreds of nautical miles away- could potentially be tasked and vectored by SAR authorities to your PLB's GPS location coordinates).

 

[chillyinCanada]

There were a number of Indo. Military boats out looking for a woman who had jumped off of a dive boat at around 2 am, one morning right around Christmas/New Years. Since this was out at Raja Ampat , I was reasonably impressed.

 

[dmaziuk]

You wanna get lost in territorial waters of non-US-EU-ANZ countries, get lost with the only dear beloved someone of a local rear-admiral: I pretty much guarantee you an amazing amount of action.

 

[Dan]

There were a number of Indo. Military boats out looking for a woman who had jumped off of a dive boat at around 2 am, one morning right around Christmas/New Years. Since this was out at Raja Ampat , I was reasonably impressed.

So, what’s the outcome?