When you look at your phone, you can see your longitude and latitude. When you talk into your phone, you can tell the person on the other end of the line that information. How can I make my point any clearer? Where have I failed?
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When you look at your phone, you can see your longitude and latitude. When you talk into your phone, you can tell the person on the other end of the line that information. How can I make my point any clearer? Where have I failed?
ONLY IF you know how to access that info on your phone AND THEN ONLY IF you have location services enabled AND THEN ONLY IF your phone can see 3 or more GPS satellites. Northern GA isn't flat suburban Texas with multitudes of cell towers and unobstructed views of GPS satellites in the sky. Just because you can get a signal to a single cell tower doesn't mean you have the other functions available. Add that if you only have a weak signal, you won't have data, and unless you have downloaded offline maps prior to getting wherever it is you are, you won't have map access/navigation available on a phone even if you can get a GPS fix.
Thanks for getting us back to the ballpark of a real, human conversation, 4eyedbuzzard, but I think you can safely presume that everyone reading this knows that northern GA isn't 'flat suburban Texas'. Most of us have probably been there/done that - I'll bet you have, and if you make the same wager about me, you'll be a correct as well. So... as far as your first two 'only if's...', that is precisely what I was referring to when I wrote that the 'dispatcher presumably should have been able to DIRECT Mr. Noonkester to tell them his location'. Among the numerous unanswered questions is whether the 911 operator knew how to access long/lat on the phone, and subsequently attempted to guide Mr. Noonkester to share this potentially life-saving info. As far as satellite connections go, I'm certainly no expert, but the claim that one can have a cell phone conversation yet not be able to see long/lat on phone seems dubious (again, not saying it's not possible). Guthook and GPS seems to have a MUCH greater range than cell phone calling, and guthook sure seems to work everywhere on the trail these days.
First, my sincere condolences to his family. And in discussing Eddie's tragic death, I in no way wish to diminish their loss. But as many of us here may quite literally follow in his footsteps, it's important for us to have an idea of what may have happened and what may have gone wrong leading to this tragedy. Unfortunately, when things go wrong, it's important to answer the "who, what, why, etc." to better learn how to prevent such events happening to others.
My initial thoughts were hypothermia, brought on by hiking into deteriorating weather conditions and failing to turn back and or hunker down before getting soaked. But the timeline doesn't really play into that as the proximate cause. He departed Amicalola Falls headed up the Approach Trail on Friday. Yet the calls to his sister and 911 don't occur until Sunday. So, it gives rise to the question of what happened on both Fri and Sat, and especially very early on, on Friday, during the hike. Now, even for an out of shape 60 year old (and I can personally attest to the effects of aging on physical ability/endurance) getting to Black Gap shelter is 7.3 miles or Springer Mtn Shelter at 9 miles or so. There's a lot of elevation gain in the beginning and lots more ups and downs follow. But, while it's a tough introduction in the sense of the work involved in moving one's weight uphill, it's an established footpath, well blazed/marked, etc. But even for an out of shape old guy, Friday should have put him at one of the two shelters mentioned, and Sat on to Hawk Mtn. How does he wind up at Cochran Falls? After reaching the top of the falls, did he decide to detour to the Hike Inn for medical or fatigue reasons and then get lost on the HI trail? Or perhaps on High Shoals or Nimblewell Gap Rd and then on the Hike Inn Rd further up the Approach Trail - and then got off that road to follow Cochran Creek (downstream) where it crosses, hoping to find his way to safety? That he wound up off of ANY trail or road and spent two full days lost and winding up where he did is puzzling and plays into a possible medical event that brought on confusion or panic or loss of mental function very early on during the hike. It doesn't seem likely hypothermia would have been in play on day 1 after only climbing the stairs to the top of the falls (1.4 miles) or even a bit further. Hopefully Emergency Services and the Medical Examiner can put together some likely scenario. It's such a very sad story.
Well, you might be surprised how many thru-hikers are shocked at how mountainous northern GA is. But that aside, Guthook maps are already downloaded so a cell signal isn't required - only GPS. But, honestly, why do you assume that 911 operators have foolproof access to lat/long data? They don't in many cases due to the caller's phone not resolving the location or the 911 equipment not being able to. Also note that the 911 dispatcher stated that Mr Noonkester seemed confused, so even if he (Mr N) could have viewed his own location, he might not have been able to do so or communicate that info due to confusion.
I don't know what kind of phone you got, but mine does not display location data unless I pull up a map.
However, I have location enabled, along with Google Emergency Location Service. The GELS automatically sends location data when making a 911 call. But the 911 center needs to have the ability to see that data and not all do. This is an Android feature and must be enabled. Not sure if it is turned on by default or not. Since mine is turned on, it's probably default. Apple phones must have a similar feature.
The weather history link which was posted on page 4 is interesting. It rained like crazy on Thursday the 13, and not again until the next Tuesday. But these are weather stations are in the valley. We all know that higher up conditions can be much different, with fog and drizzle lingering for some time. It was also on the chilly side Sat and Sun.
If he did indeed head out on Friday, only getting as far as the hike inn trail is strange. Could he have been lost all that time?
Way too many questions and not nearly enough info.
I don't know what kind of phone you got, but mine does not display location data unless I pull up a map. My last phone had long/lat info on the compass page, my new one requires that I pull up a map - both are Smartphones. Way too many questions and not nearly enough info.Truth. That 911 call is key, but the entire SAR failure has us all bewildered, I believe. Was he 'cramped', 'confused', or both? When I first saw the story on Monday, the authorities were not asking for volunteers. Why the heck not, if they knew he was out there? Why wasn't the alarm raised to highest level with all hands and volunteers on deck immediately? Was it something from the call that led to a seemingly muted response on Monday? Nimblewill expressed this concern better than I have here. Until the 911 call is public info, too many essential questions will remain unanswered.
You might be surprised how many thru-hikers are shocked at how mountainous northern GA is.
It's not the ignorance of thru-hikers that would surprise me, but rather the ignorance of Whiteblaze posters that would. Again, I think it's a safe assumption that everyone reading/writing here knows the area - not to mention we've probably all seen Deliverance!
Guthook maps are already downloaded so a cell signal isn't required - only GPS.
Right, and although again I'm not an expert, from what knowledge I do have through experience and from what I've found from quick searches today, it doesn't seem possible that someone can make a call, yet not have GPS. IOW, if you can make a call and you have GPS (which almost every phone does), your GPS should be working.
Why do you assume that 911 operators have foolproof access to lat/long data?
I DO NOT assume that; I do assume that almost everyone has it on their phone, and further, that if one can make a phone call, the GPS is functional.
First, my sincere condolences to his family. And in discussing Eddie's tragic death, I in no way wish to diminish their loss. But as many of us here may quite literally follow in his footsteps, it's important for us to have an idea of what may have happened and what may have gone wrong leading to this tragedy. Unfortunately, when things go wrong, it's important to answer the "who, what, why, etc." to better learn how to prevent such events happening to others.
I think it's safe to say that you speak for all of us here - and well said. This is a tragedy that tears at the heart. It's a 'how could this happen?' unlike anything I've seen since Inchworm. In that case, it seems like almost everything that could have been done was done, but to no avail (D. Dauphinee's 'When You Find My Body' is a great read). In this case, there are disturbing signs that not everything was done. For now, the mystery of this case is certainly equal in magnitude to that which surrounded Ms. Largay's case before the discovery of her remains.
There's not much I can add to this conversation, but my own experience. In 2017, I did a section from Newfound Gap to Springer, and then the 8.8 miles approach trail to Amicalola State Park. It was in August late afternoon. My first thought was, "how lucky I am to go southbound". If you are northbound, it is a constant incline of 8.8 miles. My next memory is, how isolated this section can be. It is very strange. You are so close to civilization, and at the same time, you take a wrong step, and you find yourself in a very deep ravine. I hope his family and friends can find some condolences in that he did what he wanted to do. There's no much else to say.
Because the absolute last thing needed when trying to rescue a lost or injured person is having to rescue lost or injured volunteers. Unless the volunteers are organized and trained, they can often create more problems than they solve. People mean well. But without verified knowledge of their skills and capabilities, sending them out in bad weather in a mountain rescue situation is asking for additional trouble.
As to GPS and cell phones and the current state of E911 in many locales: By using AGPS and location services/sharing, Dominos can deliver a pizza right to your picnic table in a park - but E911 isn't guaranteed to even find you, nevermind save your life if you choke on a piece of pepperoni. 911 dispatchers still rely mostly on reported locations from the caller as there are too many instances where GPS data is inaccurate or unavailable due to technical problems and/or equipment limitations.
Read up a bit on how GPS and AGPS work, especially in relation cell phones, and more so in areas with physical obstacles like mountains, trees, and such; GPS fix times, almanac and ephemeris data and such and how it all works; 911, esp E911 and legacy equipment, upgrade costs for PSAP's and rural emergency services, etc. Sorry, but it just isn't as simple logistically nor technologically as you seem to assume.
Indeed it can happen to anyone. It can happen to those who are not well prepared or in good physical shape and can happen to the most experienced and well equipped, as we have seen over the years. To paraphrase an old aviation quote, "The mountains, much like the sea, are not necessarily dangerous in and of themselves, they are simply intolerant of carelessness or mistakes". Though it is never pleasant to discuss accidents and events that have caused a death, understanding the events that led to it often helps others avoid a similar circumstance. It's a time honored way to increase our collective knowledge of a specific set of circumstances and honors the victim(s) by learning from them.
The chain of events that lead to life threatening situations can be difficult to see as the links are being forged and seem minor. Having a heady goal of some type like reaching a summit creating what I call the "blind ambition" (aka "get there-its) scenario, or a medical condition like hypothermia that reduces cognitive ability and increases the potential for poor decisions. When hiking alone these circumstances can be deadly as one can ignore personal minimums or not recognize the slow, nearly imperceptible loss of mental faculties. It then becomes important to have set hard guardrails or minimums that are easily recalled and are not ignored as they may be the only thing standing between life and death.
Since I hike alone most of the time, I use the "3-Strikes" rule, a fairly straight forward concept that allows for some unplanned issues that develop but puts a stop-line in place. For example a late start that puts the return close to sunset, weather development that I have marginal gear for, gear failure of any type or conditions requiring different gear, or if I am with someone else and observe a change in physical/mental condition. While none of these are in and of themselves critical, when all are added together they can easily be. In combination to 3-strikes, I also use an old bromide "if there's a doubt, there is no doubt" to help make decisions. This is a simple way to remind myself if there is a doubt about conditions or other aspect of the hike, there is no doubt it should be addressed.
If one looks at accidents and circumstances that have been fatal, there are usually many seemingly minor issues or links in the chain that seemed innocent at the time they occurred but would later become one of the lynch pins that led to a bad ending. Breaking the chain of events is dependent on recognizing these small issues and addressing them. Though it sounds kind of corny, having a rote saying that has the potential to push through the daze of exhaustion, hypothermia, or fear and/or panic, can reduce the potential of making a wrong decision that leads to an unfortunate end.
This:
And especially this:
To that end there are a few guardrails one can put into place that can help mitigate conditions that are leading to a life threatening situation. Since I hike alone most of the time, I use the "3-Strikes" rule, a fairly straight forward concept that allows for some unplanned issues that develop but puts a stop-line in place. For example a late start that puts the return close to sunset, weather development that I have marginal gear for, gear failure of any type or conditions requiring different gear, or if I am with someone else and observe a change in physical/mental condition.
I also use an old bromide "if there's a doubt, there is no doubt" to help make decisions. This is a simple way to remind myself if there is a doubt about conditions or other aspect of the hike, there is no doubt it should be addressed.
Sad ... ...
lets all take a moment .....
Please make donations to rescue teams, we can always use a little help....
Mountaineering insurance is not a bad investment. Some jurisdictions charge the person who was rescued....American Alpine Club has great policies, I have used them for several mountaineering trips, its about $45.00 per month
Traveler - Thanks for sharing great wisdom there; those are truly words to live by.
4eyedbuzzard - I was hiking the AT near Stratton, ME, in July 2013, when I was surprised to see a man and his canine companion emerge from the 'impenetrable forest'. They were locals who were a part of the massive SAR effort to find Inchworm. We all know the unfortunate ending, but there's no doubt the effort to find her was substantial. And although I'm not well-versed with cell phones, I have a little more understanding of SAR. You are certainly right that managing volunteers can be an enormous task in itself, and that on occasion, the risk of having volunteers involved can outweigh the potential benefit. This does not appear to be such an occasion. Additionally, there were numerous offers at least as early as Monday from well-qualified, professional units to which the local authorities responded with 'at this time, we are not seeking assistance'. Hindsight is 20/20 of course, but we now know that the 'problem' wasn't solved, and the 'additional trouble' of having more searchers may have, in fact, saved a life. BTW, I did read up a bit on cell phones/GPS and spoke with a few people who know much more than I do about the technology (not hard to find someone who fits the description!)... everything I've turned up so far indicates that, if you can make a phone call, your phone's GPS can tell you where you are. If you can provide any source that indicates otherwise, I'd be obliged. Take care - as you know, I'm also a 'metroplexer', but I spent several years living up in NH as well, and always consider the Whites my 'second home'.
GPS and cell service are two fundamentally different systems. One relies on terrestrial towers to make a phone call, the other is listening for time signals coming from orbiting satellites. Without a connection to those satellites, at best you get a vague triangulation of position based on cellular data assuming more than one tower picked up the signal from your phone.
Thanks, CalebJ, but I get that. As an analogy, the high jump and the slam dunk are fundamentally different endeavors, but if you can high jump over 7', you're going to be capable of giving Vince Carter a run for his money - even if you're only as tall as Spud Webb. Similarly, my point is that if you can make a cell phone call, you're going to have GPS on that phone. If you're making the claim that, in fact, it's possible that this scenario is not true (i.e. that one can make a call and yet not have enough satellite connection to have a GPS reading), more clarity would be appreciated. Even better, can you provide any evidence? The best evidence, of course, would be to go to the HI trail, open your phone and check it out. I'll be able to do this in less than two months. Until then, anything else you can provide would be appreciated - no more explanation of the technology is necessary.
I can't tell if you're just trolling us at this point.
What I attempted to explain in my previous posts is that the two systems don't rely on the same connections. It is entirely possible to have a connection to cell service and not GPS or vice versa depending on the environment at hand.
True Statement. You can have cell coverage and be able to make and receive calls without having a GPS fix. This happens all the time when in tunnels, in buildings, in canyons and under heavy tree canopy that GPS signals are not able to penetrate. Of course you could also have the GPS function turned off and still make calls.
Hey, I agree that under most conditions if a phone can connect to make a call that it also probably can get and even transmit a GPS fix. But if they (Dawson County) couldn't access the GPS data on the emergency services side (which isn't always possible with old technology or in remote areas), or if the wireless carrier couldn't access location data (and they might only know which tower his phone pinged which would only give them a radius if there weren't two or three of the same carriers towers "visible"), or if he didn't know how to use his phone's apps to access GPS coordinates and then verbally communicate the GPS coordinates to emergency services, they (911) just simply wouldn't have GPS coordinates. There are also legal/privacy issues regarding this stuff, but they are off-topic.
Remember that according to reports, they only had a idea of his general location at a certain point of time (the call and then the later ping), likely estimated from his start point, anticipated route, and a tower location and it's effective coverage area due to terrain. But his phone went off line/dead after they were able to ping it the one time after the actual voice call. They (911) never reported having a GPS fix from his phone - only a general area location, but even if they did, if he was moving it was stale info by the time they got resources out. We just don't have the details. He lived in Eden, NC approx 300 miles from Amicalola Falls. When GPS receivers are moved large distances, they often need updated almanac and ephemeral data in order to resolve a fix. So, there is also the possible scenario that he had no data service or access to an aGPS server because he was roaming or had a limited data plan of some sort, and/or never turned his phone on until after he was lost and placed the call, resulting in GPS data not being able to be resolved - it could take quite some time for his phone to resolve a GPS fix if the almanac and ephemeral data had to be updated via satellite data speeds (and I quite honestly don't even know if all phone GPS systems will download using that method, I only assume that they do).
Well, for what ever reason they weren't able to get a decent fix on his location.
I just checked my flip phone. Emergency location data is an option which came factory disabled. Maybe I should turn it on? It's possible this is the default setting for cell phones. I think Google turned on the emergency location data option when I enabled their location services for maps on my smart phone.
The mystery still remains - how did he end up where he was found and for what reason?
Yes, that's just what I was thinking based on what I've been learning about GPS through this informative discussion.
Before seeing your post, I was just about to send the following:
Personally, I have never had been ever to use my cell phone without my GPS working as well. I can't recall ever having a cell phone conversation in a tunnel either, but you may have better reception where you are of course (and you may have more tunnels as well!). Having thru-hiked the AT twice over the last decade, and hiked the New England section an additional two times, I have never had this happen to me. Last year, I hiked from Pawling, NY, to Katahdin, and GPS worked everywhere 100%, while cell phone service was spotty at best in places. I hope these credentials dispel the trolling nonsense.
Nearly everything I've researched over the last few days, and the few knowledgeable people I've asked about this points to an extremely low probability of having cell phone coverage without GPS capability. The two systems, in fact, are not so separate anymore it seems, so the already low probability is diminishing further with the spread of 'Assisted GPS'.
From quora.com: The GPS receivers in phones (and probably cellular-equipped tablets) are designed to work with “aiding” by the cellular radio under normal circumstances. The idea is that the cellular base station has a GPS receiver operating continuously anyway (for timing reference), so it can be used to collect satellite ephemeris and almanac data during normal operation, which is passed to connected phones via the cellular data channel. With that data in hand, plus the location of the base station, the GPS in the phone can do a “hot start”, acquiring enough satellite signals for a location fix in a few seconds.
Probably time to drop this call (pardon a bad pun), but again: GPS has worked for me and every other hiker I've been with on the AT 100% of the time (admittedly, I don't look at phone constantly while hiking, but I saw my long/lat every time I look at my phone's compass). Is your experience different? If so, I'd be curious to know where on the AT (or any blue blazed trail within a mile or so) did you not have GPS - and yet find that you could make a call?
It's not an issue of not getting GPS data. It's an issue of is that data shared? Was location sharing turned on? And if you share it, can the other end decode it?
You don't need a cell tower to get GPS, since that comes from space. However, if a cell tower is in range, it's location can be used to help narrow the window of uncertainty of the satellite data. So, instead of say +/- 100 feet, you location can be resolved to just a few feet. But this is another option you can turn on or off.
We arrive at Amicolala SP excited to be about to begin our long-awaited, exciting backpack. We could have made an arrangement to be dropped off at the base of Springer, but we wanted all the traditions--signing the register and accepting our hiker number at the park office, hearing the advice and warnings that those who work within the Amicolala system believe should be understood by anyone who is beginning a thruhike. We remove our fully loaded backpack, hang it outside on the scale hook, and gasp at what it reveals. Still undaunted, we walk along the path behind the building that leads to The Arch. Once we are across its threshold, we become a thruhiker. It is a life changing moment.
Reality changes quickly. We are on our own. And, although it has yet to fully come to our attention, even with many humans still within voice range, we are substantially on our own. Even a small mistake can be unforgiving, but we do not yet lose our sense of invincibility. We get an anxious feeling that things are not quite right. Where are those WHITE BLAZES? Make the call now. Being lost leads to panic. Panic can lead to very bad decisions. Breathe and drop that tent.
I am so glad that he decided to make the call. A connection was made. Someone else besides him knew that he was in trouble. The next step from that moment, according to all studies I have made, would be to STAY PUT. Hopefully he made the call early enough to still had his essential gear on his back. If he has not thrown off their weight in some undergrowth,possibly thinking he could return to get it, he has all he needs with him in that pack to last him until he is found. Starting out from town or even Amicolala SP, his pack is probably loaded with enough to keep him safe, dry, fed, watered, and reasonably warm. By the time he made the call, he was probably way past the beginnings of hypothermia, but he had to be his own rescuer. It is heartbreaking to think of his disappointment at not being able to have the thruhike he had wanted.
Just checked the compass on my phone. To my surprise the GPS location date was there. Very good information to know as I learned something today. I will pass this info on to everyone that I know as I think that most of us are quite unaware on this matter.
This article highlights the issues of locating a person via cell phone, assuming you have a strong signal. You certainly can’t count on it on the trail. https://www.washingtonpost.com/healt...call-location/
Ditto.Despite this thread being inspired by Mr Noonkester's death it is important we discuss pertinent information related to the case.I just downloaded a digital compass gps app on my phone yesterday and got familiar with it.
Surprisingly,it not only indicates my street address and GPS Coordinates,I can also share that info by emailing it.
I would think this app is satellite driven but I wouldn't know,anybody certain?
I did notice that the compass requires the traditional figure 8 movements to make it work correctly so,no,I don't trust the compass on it unless the sun is out where I can see it.I don't expect to count on it on trail in a real emergency either which is why I ALWAYS have a real compass like my Silva and a paper map;preferably the moisture resistant ones.
I would expect to be able to use it to great effect in the event I was broken down on the side of the road in an automobile.In that instance it would be priceless.But you can get the same info off Google Maps for that matter.
Sadly,this tragedy would likely have been avoided had Mr Noonkester had a plb in his possession and used it in time.Personally,I would never go solo without one and I have been known to carry it on group hikes also.
Good point on location data, BUT some apps use degrees-minutes-seconds and others use decimals. It's easy to imagine someone who is disoriented or on the verge of panic not communicating which they are using and the wrong location being established as the target. It's also easy to imagine a marginally -trained 911 operator not sensing ambiguity and writing down one instead of the other. Just something else to keep in mind.
Just a note about PLB's though. We all know nothing is foolproof and if conditions are bad, well... Case in point - Kate Matrosova in the Whites in 2015. Her PLB location kept changing confusing S&R who were dealing with the extreme weather as well. Also, if it's for some reason not a GPS enabled unit (most are and why buy one that isn't), or if it doesn't have a GPS fix, the signal position data can be delayed due to satellite positioning/2nd pass time, up to 1 1/2 hours. Still, probably the most reliable SOS device available. Second would likely be satellite messengers like an InReach. Both are far better than a cell phone in remote areas.
The Kate Matrosova incident is a fascinating one as well - thanks for mentioning it for those who might not be familiar with it. In that case, the conditions were 'extreme' by any measure. I believe that one reason Mr. Noonkester's case is so haunting and vexing - besides the fact that we, the public, have so many unanswered questions at this point - is that the conditions were in no way comparable. Of course, the elements were serious enough to present life-threatening circumstances to those without the requisite knowledge, skills, and gear, but those conditions are rather common for hikers to face this time of year. And obviously many, many hikers choose to deal with them. Few would venture to put themselves in the kind of environment in which Ms. Matrosova perished.
I do carry a PLB. thus far I've never had to use it but it's well worth bringing it along whether hiking or kayaking.
This is what I purchased and it has no monthly subscription costs.And it is supposed to work when necessary.
https://hikingguy.com/hiking-gear/acr-resqlink-review/
Maybe I missed it as I'm thinking someone must have mentioned this. There are many free GPS applications out there. I've had as many as three at one time on my phone. Currently, I have GPS Status. It's home screen has GPS latitude and longitude coordinates and a compass. Additionally, it has calibration capabilities for just about everything that requires calibration on my phone including the compass, accelerometer, gyroscope, gravity, etc.
I can't imagine ever getting irretrievably lost on a hiking trail, but if I do, that app and Guthook would be accessed immediately. I would use Guthook and the GPS compass (I carry a handheld compass, too) to try to navigate out and the GPS app to report my latitude and longitude position if I felt that was necessary (and I could make a phone connection).
I point this out, because I believe everyone should have a GPS app. I wouldn't rely on Google Maps especially if you can't get a data connection. Giving exact latitude and longitude coordinates to SAR/911 is about the best information you can give them. Even if the 911 operator doesn't understand what you are giving them, they can still write the information down.
A valid reminder that electronic communications and fish finder GPS systems are not all that reliable when most needed it seems. That should be plan B, what are you using for Plan A to recognize you are in trouble and get out while you can?
The whole idea behind the Resqlink is that it uses satellites and not cell towers.Works in the gravest extreme and will call the helicopter if you need one.(better be a life threatening situation if you use it though or you might have some explaining to do....)
The TY Gagne book on the Kate M death is probably as close an investigation we will ever see of the incident. The claim is that Kate properly deployed the PLB antenna and then put it back in her pack where it was found when they found her body. That PLB model is designed that before it can be turned on the antenna has to be unwrapped. Given the winds and the predictions of her state of mental awareness it would have been unlikely that she could have kept it deployed. The PLB instructions are fairly specific that the antenna must be deployed for it to work properly. That it even put signals out at all for some period of time is surprising inside a pack with the antenna crumpled up. The intent of the PLB design is that the GPS signal marks a general location for the rescuers to head to and then there is radio beacon used to hone in on the PLB. The Civil Air Patrol deployed a plane with a radio direction finder to the site and they had strong signal from the beacon from quite a distance. Unfortunately the area was in the equivalent of a winter hurricane and both the CAP plane and rescue helicopter was unable to get near enough the site to give any fine directions so the rescuers had to depend on the GPS. A general note is that the title of the book is based on the speculation by one individual that Kate deployed the PLB not as a rescue attempt but as direction on to where the rescuers would find her body.
Note with the deployment of several low earth orbit satellite systems int he next few years, I expect there is going to be an increase in the quality of signal reception for various Spot like devices. Iridium has been updating their constellation and improving their ability for signal reception. I expect if folks want or need to be tracked in near real time and are willing to pay for it they will be able to do so with greater accuracy in the future.
I finally looked at my NatGeo map of the area last night. Cochran falls is shown just below the Len Foote Hike Inn. Looks like maybe a half mile from that trail as the crow flies. There is a trail (not marked on map but used by locals) to visit the falls from a gravel road. I think that is what bothers me, and apparently most of us, is that he was so close to all this for days.