Bullitt Satellite Technology Saves Hiker in Colorado Mountains
A hiker was dramatically rescued after finding themselves at 12,000 feet, suffering altitude sickness and with no cell coverage to call for help. Fortunately, one member of the party was carrying a motorola defy satellite link and was able to send a message with their precise location data directly via satellite. On this occasion that message was a potentially lifesaving emergency SOS.
When the SOS came through from the hiker in Colorado, the Bullitt Satellite service was able to pinpoint GPS coordinates and connect seamless two-way satellite messaging so our Overwatch and Rescue crisis response team could expertly coordinate with Boulder County Search & Rescue to provide regular situation reports from the scene and support a successful helicopter rescue
I was doing a bit more backcountry adventures where there was no phone service or any other way to get help. My wife suggested I purchase a satellite messenger just in case, I did just that.
About a week later 4 of us were headed out on a 4 day backpacking trip. As we got to the top, one of the group was having trouble breathing at about 12k feet. We made it to camp that night and hoped he would be better in the morning, he wasn't. With about 9 miles to go back and 9 miles to the closest exit, we decided he needed to get help quickly, so we used the Motorola Defy with Overwatch and Rescue to get help.
Without the satellite messenger one or two of us would have had to hike 9 miles to get help.
The outcome? The hiker was airlifted to safety and given the necessary medical care.
Calling in rescue teams via satellite all sounds very Hollywood and expensive. While there is no doubt this ultra-cool, Mil-Spec tech is worthy of a supporting role in a movie there is an incorrect assumption about how much it will cost.
The motorola defy satellite link retails at only $149 and includes 12 months of basic messaging, as well as the satellite enabled SOS. Bullitt’s ambition is to democratize satellite communications and make a technology more traditionally associated with our military special forces accessible to all and solve the problem of cell coverage ‘not spots.’
One thing for certain is that we have all been inconvenienced by lost cell signal. In fact, as a population, we lose cell coverage in the US for around 22 billion hours each year. That’s a statistic that can be life threatening, negatively impact business or just stop you sending a message to say ‘hi’.
With our next-generation satellite service plans starting at $5 per month and availability of high quality devices like the motorola defy satellite link which connects any smartphone to the Bullitt Satellite service, the question is not ‘do I really need to be able to send messages via satellites’ instead that question should be ‘why wouldn’t I just want that peace of mind.’
