Homer kayaker found dead?

Perhaps I have been lucky? I've never had a failed I'm OK since I bought my Spot. I always turn it on, sync to the satellites and then initiate a Check In/OK message before even leaving the driveway. Spot highly recommends a person do that every time they boot the device for use. I check my email and cell phone before I leave home.  The SPOT has redundancy in its programming which means when you initiate a I'm OK or a Non-life threatening "Help" message, the message signal is sent to the satellite once, waits 5 mins and sent again, waits 5 more minutes and sent a 3rd time to insure that at least one signal had a clear sky view of a satellite. If the first signal was received by the satellite and relayed to the server account to then send out the text and emails, then the next two signals sent are ignored as the program knows it successfully delivered one of the message commands.

With the ability to send the OK or Help/"broked down" messages to cell phones via text messaging besides sending email notices, as long as you yourself are in a cell service area you can double check the successful delivery of the messages by putting your own phone number on the recipient list to verify receiving the message. Highly recommended. Just make sure you have bars.

Remind your support folks of the limitations of satellite technology, and that no "I'm okay" is not necessarily the same as "I'm not okay".

Indeed, and that is why you leave a float plan or trip plan with your people so they know what your basic schedule is. And with the tracking on, even if you are "overdue" on sending a Check In or returning home, they can see where you are and can make an assessment as to whether your position and subsequent positions is following a pattern representing a safe situation or if you are either "stuck" in one spot for a long time or veering/drifting off suspiciously. Since a collision with a moose is a real possibility while driving to Homer or Anchorage, I always run my tracking from my house and back to my house. My people know that an unusual long stop along the road outside of say Happy Valley or Cooper Landing is not typical and deserves a quick phone call to see what's up and make sure I respond.

This was my last trek to Homer....and back. Left the Spot on tracking from my front door to my front door. With a new signal sent and a position plotted on the Google map share page every 10 minutes, even when one signal failed to be passed on by the satellite (I see maybe 1 out of 15 tracking sends not hitting) you have another one in ten minutes. BTW, 2 weeks ago returning from Homer I missed a road crossing moose by 2 seconds in the dark. And last Friday on my return I nearly smacked the biggest coyote I've ever seen that was standing in the middle of my lane at night going home. My anti-lock brakes activated as I swerved and then had to pull over to re-position my boat gas tank and battery that was thrown forward when I hit the brakes. You never know when its going to happen. My retirement savings will outlast the annual charge for this service. Can't spend it if I'm dead. 
You can see Number 1 at the top is my √ mark for a Check In.  Most of the time I'll do a Check In when back on the beach unless I make a phone call instead.



sumpNZ that is a good point about the rescue cost coverage especially if you are in a state where that cost is passed on to the victim. It might be good insurance. In AK everything is covered whether its the CG cutter, troopers, ambulances, etc.  Also if you were traveling in a foreign country, even Canada or Mexico, you may be responsible for SAR expenses.

Not to hi-jack your thread but I just saw this on offer up.  Figured I'd add it here for anyone interested in the Portland area.  About half the cost of new.
https://offerupnow.com/item/detail/191060726/spot-gen-gps-located

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Fellow boaters let me make this ONE LAST COMMENT about the SPOT device and the tragedy that has occurred in Homer.

The 911 Emergency Message, when initiated on a SPOT not only sends that to the Central Command Center for notifying the nearest SAR or authorities closest to your position but it also sends out that 911 Message to all your family/friends on the 911 recipient list.

In the case of Ken's boating situation, if it was just an accident losing contact with his boat and he could have hit the 911 button, his family could have called the Coast Guard or Troopers within 30 seconds of receiving that notice complete with an exact GPS position. And that may well have presented an entirely different outcome as their emergency response and the proximity to the boating accident was so close as to almost insure a rescue before hypothermia.  Every minute counts.

SPOTs are on sale this holiday season for 50% off bringing the price of the device down to $75. The annual service charge with 10 minute tracking runs $150 for what I have. Give the gift of life to your loved ones this year and peace of mind to yourself. I bought one for my bro in the Mojave Desert and one for the other bro in the CA Sierras many years ago.

Fellow boaters let me make this ONE LAST COMMENT about the SPOT device and the tragedy that has occurred in Homer.

The 911 Emergency Message, when initiated on a SPOT not only sends that to the Central Command Center for notifying the nearest SAR or authorities closest to your position but it also sends out that 911 Message to all your family/friends on the 911 recipient list.

In the case of Ken's boating situation, if it was just an accident losing contact with his boat and he could have hit the 911 button, his family could have called the Coast Guard or Troopers within 30 seconds of receiving that notice complete with an exact GPS position. And that may well have presented an entirely different outcome as their emergency response and the proximity to the boating accident was so close as to almost insure a rescue before hypothermia.  Every minute counts.

SPOTs are on sale this holiday season for 50% off bringing the price of the device down to $75. The annual service charge with 10 minute tracking runs $150 for what I have. Give the gift of life to your loved ones this year and peace of mind to yourself. I bought one for my bro in the Mojave Desert and one for the other bro in the CA Sierras many years ago.

If these guys are not sponsoring you they should be! I'm getting one because of this feed.
This would be a great tournament prize, not just for the person who gets it but also to raise overall safety awareness.


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If these guys are not sponsoring you they should be! I'm getting one because of this feed.
This would be a great tournament prize, not just for the person who gets it but also to raise overall safety awareness.

Casey, no association with SPOT people. I came to Alaska in 1970 right out of college and have survived 46 winters so far as an active outdoorsman. This land will kill you in an instant if you turn your back on it. In my own conscience knowing this device exists, I could not allow myself to NOT engage in outdoor activities and risky road trips without having one at arm's reach. Just a no brainer for me.

Your suggestion about local clubs or groups offering these as prizes for fishing tournaments is an outstanding idea. And as an aside, your family and friends can track you in real time during all the events you participate in. Even use the "Spot Morse Code" to let them know when you catch the big one!

Perhaps I have been lucky? I've never had a failed I'm OK since I bought my Spot. I always turn it on, sync to the satellites and then initiate a Check In/OK message before even leaving the driveway. Spot highly recommends a person do that every time they boot the device for use. I check my email and cell phone before I leave home.  The SPOT has redundancy in its programming which means when you initiate a I'm OK or a Non-life threatening "Help" message, the message signal is sent to the satellite once, waits 5 mins and sent again, waits 5 more minutes and sent a 3rd time to insure that at least one signal had a clear sky view of a satellite. If the first signal was received by the satellite and relayed to the server account to then send out the text and emails, then the next two signals sent are ignored as the program knows it successfully delivered one of the message commands.

With the ability to send the OK or Help/"broked down" messages to cell phones via text messaging besides sending email notices, as long as you yourself are in a cell service area you can double check the successful delivery of the messages by putting your own phone number on the recipient list to verify receiving the message. Highly recommended. Just make sure you have bars.

Remind your support folks of the limitations of satellite technology, and that no "I'm okay" is not necessarily the same as "I'm not okay".

Indeed, and that is why you leave a float plan or trip plan with your people so they know what your basic schedule is. And with the tracking on, even if you are "overdue" on sending a Check In or returning home, they can see where you are and can make an assessment as to whether your position and subsequent positions is following a pattern representing a safe situation or if you are either "stuck" in one spot for a long time or veering/drifting off suspiciously. Since a collision with a moose is a real possibility while driving to Homer or Anchorage, I always run my tracking from my house and back to my house. My people know that an unusual long stop along the road outside of say Happy Valley or Cooper Landing is not typical and deserves a quick phone call to see what's up and make sure I respond.

This was my last trek to Homer....and back. Left the Spot on tracking from my front door to my front door. With a new signal sent and a position plotted on the Google map share page every 10 minutes, even when one signal failed to be passed on by the satellite (I see maybe 1 out of 15 tracking sends not hitting) you have another one in ten minutes. BTW, 2 weeks ago returning from Homer I missed a road crossing moose by 2 seconds in the dark. And last Friday on my return I nearly smacked the biggest coyote I've ever seen that was standing in the middle of my lane at night going home. My anti-lock brakes activated as I swerved and then had to pull over to re-position my boat gas tank and battery that was thrown forward when I hit the brakes. You never know when its going to happen. My retirement savings will outlast the annual charge for this service. Can't spend it if I'm dead. 
You can see Number 1 at the top is my √ mark for a Check In.  Most of the time I'll do a Check In when back on the beach unless I make a phone call instead.



sumpNZ that is a good point about the rescue cost coverage especially if you are in a state where that cost is passed on to the victim. It might be good insurance. In AK everything is covered whether its the CG cutter, troopers, ambulances, etc.  Also if you were traveling in a foreign country, even Canada or Mexico, you may be responsible for SAR expenses.

Lots of great tips in this thread, KK. I love it!

Are you sure about the victim not being liable for rescue expenses? I have a co-worker that had to be rescued off of Flat Top this year (broken leg). The only group available to reach him by helicopter was the National Guard, and one of the soldiers who picked him up told he was lucky it was the Guard that got him because they can't send him a bill, which implies that other agencies could. Maybe that guy was just misinformed, or my co-worker misunderstood.


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Are you sure about the victim not being liable for rescue expenses? I have a co-worker that had to be rescued off of Flat Top this year (broken leg). The only group available to reach him by helicopter was the National Guard, and one of the soldiers who picked him up told he was lucky it was the Guard that got him because they can't send him a bill, which implies that other agencies could. Maybe that guy was just misinformed, or my co-worker misunderstood.

That is a good point to bring up and perhaps worth investigating. I don't doubt that any private company or service would need to send out a bill if they were involved.   Here on the Peninsula I've never spoke with anyone who said they had to pay for assistance. Of course Coast Guard tow-ins probably fall under the same umbrella as the National Guard or any other federal service like Park Ranger search personnel, etc. But state agencies are government too so I don't know. On the Peninsula we have a tax assessment on our property tax bill that includes the Kenai Peninsula Emergency Services agency so I don't believe they would charge either.

I guess the bottom line is if someone is rescuing you and saving your life.....the money will not be a factor.  I'd be glad to be alive and pay the bill than dead and have my heirs pay it.

As a firefighter here on the peninsula I can tell you that you most certainly would be charged if lifemed (air ambulance) or guardian was to transport you. It's not uncommon to get a 15K$ bill from them. Most if not all ground ambulances charge a negligible fee as well. The fire dept./state troopers would not charge for the rescue itself though. The 11th rescue coordination center in anchorage and the coast guard do not charge a fee. Either way, make the freakin call if you need to.


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Either way, make the freakin call if you need to.

AMEN!  People die every year trying to "save" their expensive gear rather than let go and save their life. Duck hunters have drown hanging on to that $2000 over and under rather than let go and swim. I would/will have no hesitations to push the button for a rescue. In fact, I'm researching marine handheld radios this week as just another "layer" of protection and insurance I prefer to not be without.  One thing about it, anyone who buddies up with me will also benefit from my thoroughness. 

Either way, make the freakin call if you need to.

AMEN!  People die every year trying to "save" their expensive gear rather than let go and save their life. Duck hunters have drown hanging on to that $2000 over and under rather than let go and swim. I would/will have no hesitations to push the button for a rescue. In fact, I'm researching marine handheld radios this week as just another "layer" of protection and insurance I prefer to not be without.  One thing about it, anyone who buddies up with me will also benefit from my thoroughness. 

On the ocean I've usually got 3 forms of emergency comms.  My cell phone (least reliable), VHF with DSC (more reliable), and my SPOT (most reliable).  All three are on my body, not the boat.  If you get separated from the boat in a huli it does you zero good to have the device on the boat.

VHF is on the exterior of my PFD, typically on the opposite side of my rescue knife.  Cell phone and SPOT inside the pockets of the PFD.  Since I no longer have a waterproof phone, the cell phone will be inside a small dry bag along with my licenses. 

I was talking about this SPOT topic with a friend today. She mentioned the Delorme inReach and how some of her friends much prefer that device. One big difference is that the inReach allows two way communications. It also sounds like it allows multiple prerecorded messages.

Does anyone have experience with inReach (or preferably both)? I'm going to get one, but now I'm not sure which one to get.

On the ocean I've usually got 3 forms of emergency comms.  My cell phone (least reliable), VHF with DSC (more reliable), and my SPOT (most reliable).  All three are on my body, not the boat.  If you get separated from the boat in a huli it does you zero good to have the device on the boat.

That is a very wise approach, redundancy, redundancy, redundancy. That will be my configuration too once I choose a VHF but I've decided for the small extra weight and its waterproof container, I'm going to slip my flare gun in the hull. I've got so many "expired" 12 gauge flares I could put on a fireworks show to rival the best of them. HA. My cousin taught me a trick about ATV & snowmachine safety....he puts two road flares in a Food Saver bag and vacuum packs them. They are preserved, waterproof, and last forever in your ATV/snowmachine and not only work great as a signal flare but more importantly in wet or cold weather they make great fire starters which can make the difference between a hypothermia victim and warm/dry/rescue. I'll probably add a couple to my boat on those excursions when I am on a water taxi drop off remote trip.

I was talking about this SPOT topic with a friend today. She mentioned the Delorme inReach and how some of her friends much prefer that device. One big difference is that the inReach allows two way communications. It also sounds like it allows multiple prerecorded messages. Does anyone have experience with inReach (or preferably both)? I'm going to get one, but now I'm not sure which one to get.

I don't have any knowledge of the Delorme unit but heard about them when they launched the product. Beside the 911 rescue signal being the most important on any device of this kind, the real time tracking is THE most important secondary feature you want. Check In/OK, and "broke down HELP, come get me" messages are fine to send but if your list of recipients are tracking you in real time they can determine a lot of valuable info from that. One last consideration is the cost of the annual service. At $150/yr for my SPOT I don't even notice it. The more use of a satellite usually the higher the cost.  The fees for the Delorme InReach are quite pricey and they nickel/dime you to death if you want all the features.
http://www.inreachdelorme.com/product-info/subscription-plans.php

After reviewing their Fees Table on the above page, not to mention their units run $250-$350 each, vs $75 right now on sale for a SPOT its an easy choice for me.  95% of the users will never take advantage of 2 way communications or a variety of messages, etc. And if its too costly people will quit using the device and not renew, then its worthless if its back at the house in the junk drawer.

EDIT: ADDENDUM:  Here is the SPOT FEE TABLE for their services. The Unlimited tracking and 2 1/2 minute tracking is not a necessary expense unless you are wanting your friends to track you that frequently, say competing in a race event on foot or machine. I want to add, the GEN 3 SPOT device has added one extra feature in the annual subscription that my Gen I can't do. You can write up one Customized Message (other than the 911/Help/Ck In messages) that you can send to your recipients. Since you can change it before heading out for a fishing tournament, it could say Got The Big One! Or in another scenario it could be a different message fitting that situation. But it must be done logged onto your SPOT account while online.
http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=130
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To give you an example of my personal SPOT device messages:
If I pressed the 911 (life-threatening emergency) requiring rescue, the message sent to Central Command and my recipients is:
68 years old, single, 6'1", 185#. Outdoorsman, healthy, survivor. Hunter. Fisher. Woodsman. 46 year Alaskan resident. Probably has Jake, his yellow lab, with him. Has lighter for starting signal fires.

If I send a HELP (Non life-threatening situation) that just goes to my recipients it says:
NOT a life threatening emergency. Maybe broke down. See Google map where I am. Come and get me!

If I send a Check In/I'm OK message to my recipients it says:
Just checking in. I'm OK. You can see where I'm at on Google. Check SPOT SHARED PAGE if I activated tracking.

Along with 10 minute continuous tracking on my Shared Page, what more do I need for a mere safety/rescue device? Cell phones and radios cover the other bases most of the time.

The Spot Gen 3 is on sale at REI.com for $74.89 (about 1/2 price).

The Spot Gen 3 is on sale at REI.com for $74.89 (about 1/2 price).

Thanks Dark Tuna for reminding folks of this great sale.
BTW, Cabelas and the SPOT website are also running this sale to the end of the year.

The other day I went through the entire Delorme inReach information pages, researching both their units' capabilities and the extensive number of various plans....and associated costs and annual fees and cannot recommend that unit to anyone. They nickel & dime charge you for everything. And lastly consider this: Are you out there to fish, hike, boat, hunt.....or sit there texting someone with a primitive 4 arrow joystick button and alphabet in 160 character messages on a one inch screen all day at 10cents each? The day you get tired of paying for this "toy" is the day it will be sitting at home deactivated and you will need help.

In my honest opinion (I bought my SPOT August 27, 2008 and have used it many dozens of times and on a 2000 mile Alcan road trek too) I will say SPOT is there to save your life when you need it. Plain and simple. It has additional features which I find extremely useful and very comforting to those family and friends who have constant watch over my whereabouts.

This price is so good that I'm almost positive that before the sale ends on December 31st I'll buy a GEN III and rat hole it on the shelf for activating one day IF my GEN I ever fails to provide the services I rely on. I hope that is still many years down the road!  The price is so affordable and the annual service is so affordable I don't know how anyone who puts their lives in harm's way could pass up this "deal".

Just my 2 cents after 8 years of experience with SPOT. ~KK~

P.S. My intend in all this dialog is to see that no one fails to return home. I've lived in Alaska 46 years since I was 22 and have seen tragedy after tragedy ending badly that >GUARANTEED< would have ended happily had they only had a SPOT with them. Add to that list the hundreds of tragedies broadcast on the national news all year long and we are talking many thousands of people would be alive today if they had a personal satellite tracker like this. Perhaps the kayaker this thread is about would have been one of those too.  He was actually in sight of the town and the end of the Spit where the Coast Guard vessels were docked.  A broadcast of the man's GPS coordinates by the Harbor Master on VHF would have surely been heard by pleasure craft out fishing in that area too.

Save your money until you're ready to replace that Gen 1 SPOT.  They run that sale every year.