Search and Rescue (SAR) crews saved solo hiker Nate Freund in the San Bernardino Mountains

Search and Rescue (SAR) crews saved solo hiker Nate Freund, 27, on Tuesday, January 22 in the San Bernardino Mountains, east of Los Angeles. A week prior, another hiker went missing in nearby mountains and was never found.

Freund set off on an overnight trip in the Mount Baldy area on Sunday, January 20. After spending the night at 8,400 feet, the experienced hiker became disoriented in dense fog and snow as he attempted to descend on Monday afternoon. With the weather closing in and temperatures below freezing, Freund said he was “15 minutes away from disaster” and truly lost. He hiked back to his campsite and at 3:30 p.m., he activated the ACR Electronics AquaFix™ 406 GPS PLB that his father had given him for Christmas in 2006.

He used his cell phone to text message his sister and his college roommate to say he was OK but lost. In the meantime, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) received notification and the location of his satellite distress signal. Since the beacon was registered, they were able to confirm with the parents that their son was in fact on a two-day backpacking trek. The AFRCC then alerted the San Bernardino and Los Angeles Sheriff’s Departments. A search was initiated.

During the night, Freund saw helicopters traversing back and forth across ridges scanning for him but they did not locate him as he had turned his beacon off to conserve battery power. (It is advisable to not turn off the beacon in an emergency since the signal stops transmitting and impedes rescuers in their search.) He reactivated it at 4 a.m. On Tuesday morning, a ground SAR team set out with Freund’s exact coordinates and located him up the mountain about five hours later. He was cold and hungry but in good health.

Freund credits the beacon and multiple agencies for returning him to his family. “The beacon had a lot to do with helping me stay calm and collected. I kept saying ‘people are going to come, people are going to come to get me back to my family.’ I was in a trance by the sight of the rescuers literally coming out of the fog and clouds to get me.”

His father, Erwin Freund, purchased the AquaFix™ for his son because he has an ACR EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) on his boat, and is a firm believer in the technology. “The PLB played an important part in my son’s rescue. I’m really glad I bought it. My son likes to hike on his own, which I’m not too pleased about, but this (beacon) gives me some comfort,” his father said.

Deputy Sheriff Dave Pichotta with the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department said the PLB helped immensely with getting the searchers into the area. “The beacon was very helpful but people shouldn’t turn it off once it’s activated,” said Deputy Pichotta.