Missing hunters in Colorado

[mtnbound]

I don't think someone else can "ping" your Inreach. I'm pretty sure you must set up your account online to update your coordinates at your desired time intervals, then send an invitation email to each person that you grant permission to see your location via a link. Then you must have the device on and enable tracking. If you don't take these steps it is essentially a PLB that requires you to be conscious to hit the SOS button or send a text with your location and request for assistance.

After this incident, people will take a few minutes to set up their unit correctly, as that will provide the maximum safety in the backcountry.

By setting up a mapshare link, anyone you share it with can track your current location, ping for your current and past locations, and see you moving in real time, provided you have tracking enabled and the device is on.

With the unit on whether tracking is on or off, and you failing to return, Garmin, at the request of law enforcement, can ping your unit for the most recent location.

If the unit is powered off, and you failing to return, Garmin, at the request of law enforcement, can ping your unit for the devices past the locations, as seen in this instance.

The PLBs I am aware of lack these options, making Garmin's InReach or similar devices the best choice for backcountry safety.

 

[BrownTroutGuy]

This is so sad. May God comfort their families. For those of you second guessing your gear setup, these things have helped me before. Maybe this thread can help someone in the future.

Never leave your pack
Lightweight tarp
QuickClot/1st aid kit
PLB/InReach/Zoleo (I run ACR PLB + Zoleo)
Waterproof matches
Assume you’ll need to spend a night in the woods in bad weather with your day pack

 

[Finch]

Is a person charged if they hit their SOS button and SAR are mobilized? It's hard to ask this question without it coming off wrong but I'm genuinely curious though. Life is priceless but not sure how that all works when the SOS button is pressed.

Also, this event makes me realize that my hunting partner was absolutely correct for one of our past hunts. I knew the area we were going had spotty cell signal and I proposed NOT buying/ renting an Inreach as we would likely have cell coverage at some point during the day and could check in at least once daily with the wives. I now know how stupid of an idea that was!

I hope these boys at least had the time of their lives up until the unthinkable happened. RIP

 

[OKHunter84]

Is a person charged if they hit their SOS button and SAR are mobilized? It's hard to ask this question without it coming off wrong but I'm genuinely curious though. Life is priceless but not sure how that all works when the SOS button is pressed.

Also, this event makes me realize that my hunting partner was absolutely correct for one of our past hunts. I knew the area we were going had spotty cell signal and I proposed NOT buying/ renting an Inreach as we would likely have cell coverage at some point during the day and could check in at least once daily with the wives. I now know how stupid of an idea that was!

I hope these boys at least had the time of their lives up until the unthinkable happened. RIP

Yes it costs quite a bit actually. I buy the insurance through Garmin. It's $39.95 or something like that and covers up to $100k. Totally worth it IMO.

 

[Finch]

Yes it costs quite a bit actually. I buy the insurance through Garmin. It's $39.95 or something like that and covers up to $100k. Totally worth it IMO.

Interesting! Have you heard any figures that people have been charged without the insurance?

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Interesting! Have you heard any figures that people have been charged without the insurance?

FYI, depending on the state you may have already paid a fee with your license.

 

[Poser]

Yes it costs quite a bit actually. I buy the insurance through Garmin. It's $39.95 or something like that and covers up to $100k. Totally worth it IMO.

SAR operations in Colorado, even with a helicopter rescue with an EMT on board, do not cost you anything. The operational costs are paid for my hunting license surcharges + county and state funding.

Now, the moment a rescue becomes an ambulance ride, say you are turned over to Flight for Life or an ambulance, you’re on your insurance or your own dime. Some other states vary, but the additional Garmin insurance, if you read the fine print, doesn’t give you any additional insurance for SAR in Colorado. You may want to make sure your health insurance covers “high risk” activities and includes enough coverage for a flight for life ambulance ride, but the rescue itself is not something you will be billed for in Colorado.

My baseline health insurance, for example, specifically excludes gun shot wounds, climbing accidents, skiing, Motorsport etc. I pay extra for all of that + ambulance rides over a certain amount (definitely not enough to cover an airborne ambulance) up to $150,000.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

I don't think someone else can "ping" your Inreach. I'm pretty sure you must set up your account online to update your coordinates at your desired time intervals, then send an invitation email to each person that you grant permission to see your location via a link. Then you must have the device on and enable tracking. If you don't take these steps it is essentially a PLB that requires you to be conscious to hit the SOS button or send a text with your location and request for assistance.

Not hard by any means but how about dumb this shit down so people will actually do it.
Garmins are kind of a pain in the ass with having to pair to your phone etc.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I was in a nearby unit. You missed out. After the snow stopped the hunting was incredible. You just needed to find a good location lower after the snow stopped. We did see all the guys who tried to go high come back two days later saying they spent those two days digging out.

The only problem was we had a 12 to 15 mile uphill road trip before we got to the area I wanted to hunt. What we needed were snow machines, not my F350 4x4 towing my utility trailer with all our gear in it plus my sxs. LOL

 

[Coopsdaddy]

After this incident, people will take a few minutes to set up their unit correctly, as that will provide the maximum safety in the backcountry.

By setting up a mapshare link, anyone you share it with can track your current location, ping for your current and past locations, and see you moving in real time, provided you have tracking enabled and the device is on.

With the unit on whether tracking is on or off, and you failing to return, Garmin, at the request of law enforcement, can ping your unit for the most recent location.

If the unit is powered off, and you failing to return, Garmin, at the request of law enforcement, can ping your unit for the devices past the locations, as seen in this instance.

The PLBs I am aware of lack these options, making Garmin's InReach or similar devices the best choice for backcountry safety.

Here we go again,heck with the law enforcement,there needs to be authorized people who can make the same request.
In case you don’t know,some law enforcement are worthless,liberals,anti hunting or just lazy.
Not all but that’s crazy your wife can’t make the same request.

 

[cuerro viejo]

There needs to be an option on the garmin contract that you can designate certain people to access.
Not just at the request of the responsible law enforcement agency.
If my wife wants to have 100% of all my data she should be allowed to get it instantly.
It may be a priority to her,in today’s world it may not be as big priority to others.

Give her your log in

 

[feanor]

This is so sad. May God comfort their families. For those of you second guessing your gear setup, these things have helped me before. Maybe this thread can help someone in the future.

Never leave your pack
Lightweight tarp
QuickClot/1st aid kit
PLB/InReach/Zoleo (I run ACR PLB + Zoleo)
Waterproof matches
Assume you’ll need to spend a night in the woods in bad weather with your day pack

I agree with this too. This year, I incorporated a 10x10 tarp that weighs just under a pound. That, paired with fire starting capabilities would certainly help quite a bit.

 

[MuleyFever]

Since this thread has a lot of talk about inReach, the new Fenix 8 Pro has inReach built into the watch for anyone into expensive smartwatches.

 

[Ryan R]

Brutal end to this situation. Hard to figure out how both guys could go down. RIP boys. Thinking of their family and friends.

 

[1jeds]

Since this thread has a lot of talk about inReach, the new Fenix 8 Pro has inReach built into the watch for anyone into expensive smartwatches.

It uses Skylo satellites and not Iridium like an InReach....but still a good backup option to have

 

[rustyN]

Since this thread has a lot of talk about inReach, the new Fenix 8 Pro has inReach built into the watch for anyone into expensive smartwatches.

I love Garmin.

Is this expensive? Yes. But you'll always have it on you, no dropping your pack with your inreach and then getting into troubles.

I'll add a quick tidbit about Garmin watches. I have a Garmin Instinct 2X. In AK a few weeks back caribou hunting I marked my camp location coordinates in the watch as soon as we were dropped. Four days later my brother, dad, and I were in the pitch black packing a caribou back to camp - my little $400 watch and the navigate feature saved our bacon. We would walk 100 yards or so and then course correct, repeat until we got back at 230am.

When I can afford a fenix 8 pro you can bet i'll buy one.

 

[Ecampbell25]

So sad. I send my prayers to the family.

 

[Thomas11]

Is a person charged if they hit their SOS button and SAR are mobilized? It's hard to ask this question without it coming off wrong but I'm genuinely curious though. Life is priceless but not sure how that all works when the SOS button is pressed.

Also, this event makes me realize that my hunting partner was absolutely correct for one of our past hunts. I knew the area we were going had spotty cell signal and I proposed NOT buying/ renting an Inreach as we would likely have cell coverage at some point during the day and could check in at least once daily with the wives. I now know how stupid of an idea that was!

I hope these boys at least had the time of their lives up until the unthinkable happened. RIP

In Colorado SAR is part of y license fee. So it’s free there assuming u hsve a hunting license. Not sure other states

 

[TXCO]

Awful outcome. Prayers for hte family.

 

[5MilesBack]

I think "lightning" would be the most plausible scenario at this point. And lightning is really the only thing out there that concerns me.