Jim Adkins, a pilot and avid hunter, purchased his SPOT Gen3 for hunting season so that his family could track him. Two weeks later, Jim had to use his SPOT for the one thing he hoped he would never have to.
Jim was elk hunting with his son in Eastern Oregon when his son suffered an accidental gunshot wound. Jim immediately activated the SOS on his SPOT device and proceeded to administer first aid. Not wanting to waste any time, Jim put him in his pickup truck and started driving to the nearest hospital, which was an hour away. While in route, he was able to get cell service and called 911. The dispatcher let him know they had received the SOS ping and had already dispatched deputies to their coordinates. A deputy was able to meet them and provided an escort to the hospital where his son was stabilized and later airlifted to a larger facility.
According to Jim, owning a SPOT is a must have when off the grid. “Family can rest easy, knowing where I am all the time, when I go out by myself. I am assured I can have help on the way, if I should hurt myself and I’m out in the middle of nowhere. I won’t hunt without it.”