In this video I look at what really happens when you activate an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indication Radio Beacon) or PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) in a remote part of Australia.

I interview Ori Zavros who with his wife Lindsay and two young children became bogged after heavy rain in the Simpson Desert. Ori catalogued his ordeal with gopro’s, drones and mobile phones and has kindly given me access to this amazing footage. It shows the search aircraft parachuting rescue stores, the families attempts to free their homebuilt truck from the bog and their eventual rescue by helicopter.

UPDATE: The truck has just been recovered;
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-2...

Chapters
0:00 Start
0:56 Interview with Ori Zavros starts
4:00 Truck gets bogged
6:16 EPIRB/PLB gets activated
7:05 First rescue aeroplane (Bombardier Challenger 604) flies over
16:00 Food drop by aeroplane
17:50 Rescue chopper arrives (Bell 412)
19:27 Media storm
21:30 Lessons learned
22:30 Weather forecast
22:48 Preparation, food, water
24:50 Post interview debrief
25:00 Difference between EPIRB and PLB
25:40 Satellite trackers, Zoleo, Spot tracker, Garmin Inreach
27:40 Satellite tracker limitations
28:30 What I take on major expeditions
29:08 My PFD with PLB attached
30:19 Conclusion


I verified Ori’s factual account with the AMSA RCC (Australian Maritime Safety Authority Rescue Co-ordination Centre) in Canberra. They kindly provided the parachute drop footage. ASMA RCC co-ordinate all major rescues within Australia. For a more in-depth look at how the RCC works I’d recommend this podcast by the Rotary Wing Show. Both the host and RCC Supervisor he interviews are Ex Army Aviation pilot’s and colleagues of mine.
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast...

Or visit the AMSA (Australian Maritime Safety Authority) website for the latest news and info on beacons;
https://beacons.amsa.gov.au

Ori has a Youtube channel that shows more about his truck and how he build it;
   / ozavros  
And his TruckingOz Instagram page
  / trucking.oz  

News stories referenced during the interview;
ABC News
   • Zavros family grateful after being re...  
7 News
https://7news.com.au/news/sa/developm...
CNN
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-1...

Gear/beacons
The PLB that Ori activated is an ACR ResQLink;
https://www.acrartex.com/products/res...

My Rescue Me EPIRB (floating/marine certified);
https://oceansignal.com/products/epirb1/

My Rescue Me PLB (the tiny one);
https://oceansignal.com/products/plb1/

My Zoleo Satellite Tracker;
https://www.zoleo.com

My Spot tracker (newer versions are available than the one I showed);
https://www.findmespot.com/en-us/

Garmin Inreach Mini:
https://www.garmin.com/en-AU/p/592606

Please feel free to check out my other youtube videos, particularly my Surviving the Great Barrier Reef series. This was the dugout canoe expedition mentioned in this video. The canoe build and pre-departure video’s are already up and I’m about to start editing the actual expedition footage. It was epic and the hardest expedition I've done.
   • Surviving the Great Barrier Reef Expe...  

Here’s my website and socials;

https://outbackmike.com.au (here you can also view my previous feature film “Surviving the Outback)
  / outbackmike  
https://www.instagram.com/outback_mik...

Thanks for watching!!!