Central Arizona Mountain Rescue, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office and other organizations say cell phone, cellular data, and towers are helping them even the odds when it comes to saving stranded hikers on Superstition or other East Valley mountains, reported the East Valley Tribune.
“We think it’s because of additional cell phone towers” that have improved service in fringe areas, said Jesse Rutherford, a spokesman for Central Arizona Mountain Rescue.
Technology has significantly reduced the number of long ground searches for lost hikers, volunteers say, and that turns more missions into rescues of injured or lost hikers rather than body recoveries. The number of incidents involving stranded or injured hikers has held steady in the last two years, according to statistics maintained by the Pinal County rescue unit. In 2016, there were 72 searches and 103 rescues and in 2017, there were 69 searches and 101 rescues.
“It’s become much easier to reach people who call 911,” said Russell Kemp, a Central Arizona Mountain Rescue member. “We get very accurate coordinates. We can fly almost directly to you.” Kemp prefers rescues to the old-fashioned searches.
Technology has also impacted rescue units, reducing the need for volunteers, reported the Tribune. Robert Cooper, the longtime commander of Superstition Rescue, said his volunteer organization was largely replaced by helicopters and cell phones.
“Now, the sheriff’s office does everything with a helicopter,” Cooper said. “It’s a sign of the times.”
April 26, 2018
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