A Great Example That Saved a Life
Too often, the news from the Coast Guard is bleak as they go about their daily duties of search and rescue. However, every now and then, there are shining examples of what boaters do to be safe on the water, such as in the case of the man attempting to break a record when his personal watercraft sank between Naples and Marathon.
Fortunately the man had a VHF radio and a SPOT GPS messenger, both of which alerted the Coast Guard to his distress. He was rescued quickly as a result of making wise financial investments. Captain Pat DeQuattro, Coast Guard commander, Sector Key West said, "We were happy to save Mr. Pagliccia and get him to shore safe. Mr. Pagliccia took some great safety precautions that led to his quick rescue such as having a radio and the SPOT GPS messenger and we recommend other boaters utilize similar safety equipment."
I couldn't agree more! Boaters - you need a VHF radio and an EPIRB or Personal Locator Beacon such as the SPOT Satellite messenger. With them, you give rescuers a greater chance of finding you should an accident happen.
Here are resources to get you started:
The Best EPIRBs or PLBs to Buy
Marine Electronics Review - SPOT Personal Locator Beacon
Marine Electronics Review - ACR Electronics AquaFix 406 I/O Personal Locator Beacon
Marine Electronics Review - ACR Electronics ResQFix 406 GPS Personal Locator Beacon
Marine Electronics Review - ACR Electronics GlobalFix iPRO EPIRB
VHF Marine Radios - Your Life Line in an Emergency
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Comments
Re: “you need a VHF radio and an EPIRB or Personal Locator Beacon such as the SPOT Satellite messenger.”
SPOT is NOT a Personal Locator Beacon and there are notable differences that consumers should be aware of.
I found a lot of great information about gps systems on a website called tracking-system.com