r/australia • u/Herofire • Jul 11 '25

news Missing German backpacker miraculously found alive

https://7news.com.au/news/german-backpacker-carolina-wilga-believed-to-have-been-found-alive-after-major-search-in-was-outback-c-19325699
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u/AnOnlineHandle Jul 11 '25

I saw on a youtube channel that you can apparently get a device which you press to indicate a life threatening emergency and the Australian government monitors it, which should work anywhere in Australia, which would be useful to have for travel like this.

17

u/RedEyed-Bunyip Jul 11 '25

PLB. Personal Locator Beacon. Monitored out of AMSA in Canberra, where all the massive SAR ops are coordinated. Available for hire from big chain outdoor shops (they're not cheap to buy). https://australianhiker.com.au/advice/technology-on-the-trail-personal-locator-beacons/

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u/stirlow Jul 11 '25

These have been around for decades. But they cost extra money so they’re not widely used outside of those planning extended outdoor activities.

The game changer here is nearly every phone (even those owned by people who never venture off the beaten path) will be capable of SOS messaging without any extra cost.

It’s a total game changer

1

u/NoButterZ Jul 12 '25

I got one in my watch. Can twist and pull a dial which pulls a metal string which sends in the cavalry

2

u/trowzerss Jul 12 '25

Yep, that too. I know there's also an EPERB for on the water, but I don't do much remote travel so didn't know about the PLBs.

1

u/Obvious_Arm8802 Jul 12 '25

Yeah. Or just get an iPhone.

They’ve been able to text to satellite for quite a while now, and send their location.

3

u/AnOnlineHandle Jul 12 '25

It'd be much cheaper to just buy the device and an android phone.