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SOLO BACKPACKER RELIES ON SPOT AFTER FALLING
Rescue Profile: Shannon Cunningham
Case #20130
Shannon Cunningham has been an avid backpacker for 9 years. For two of those years, she has carried SPOT Gen3 to use in case of emergency and this past summer was the first time she had to use the S.O.S. on her SPOT.
Shannon was on a 5 day solo hike on the northern most tip of Vancouver Island in Canada on the North Coast Trail. On the first day of her hike, she slipped at camp and fell dislocating and breaking her shoulder in four different places.
The Canadian Coast Guard, out of Port Hardy, received her location and rescued her by boat. After arriving to the ER, the doctors verified Shannon’s shoulder injuries.
Shannon’s mother, who received the distress message first, knew to check her hiking trip itinerary and was able to confirm that her locations matched and it did! While her friends and family were worried, they knew that she was “okay enough to signal.”
“Having my SPOT meant I did not have to spend the night on the trail and received care faster.” Shannon recommends SPOT because this could happen to anyone no matter how experienced you may be. "If you have taken wilderness first aid, you know how long it can be for help to reach you. Having a device like the SPOT can make all the difference."
