Aberdyfi Search And Rescue Team
  • Home
  • Callouts
  • Area Covered
  • Donations
  • Links
  • Contact
  • Login
  • The Team
  • Water

Smartphone app helps locate missing expedition group

26/6/2013

 
In the early evening of Wednesday 26th June, Aberdyfi Search & Rescue Team (ASART) was made aware of a party of teenagers on a Duke of Edinburgh Expedition who had become disorientated in the hills above Abergynolwyn. 

Using ‘Sarloc’, an application designed to work with smartphones, the rescue manager was able to locate the group remotely and give them directions on how to proceed. The group had lost confidence in their own abilities, and were hesitant about moving on from their current location, so a small party of ASART volunteers was readied to walk them off the hill. In the
event, the location information enabled the expedition’s remote supervisor to regain contact with the group, and the Team were stood down.

Rescuers initiate Sarloc by sending the missing party a text message with a link to a webpage. Clicking on this link opens a
page in the phone's browser which queries the phone to identify its location. This location data is then relayed to the Mountain Rescue Team. 
 
“The software requires a phone with a good signal, internet capabilities and GPS, and unfortunately, many of the mountainous areas still have patchy mobile coverage”, said Chris Dunn, the Team Leader who deployed the app. “We always encourage people enjoying the outdoors to take responsibility for their own safety, but this gives us another useful tool when things go wrong in an area with mobile coverage.”


Comments are closed.

    Archives

    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011