For those of you with a SPOT, please do a check to see that it is putting out a lat/long…we had a boat offshore 2 days ago that lost all power and pulled the trigger on the send help feature…the lat/long we got was all 9’s…called SPOT dispatcher and had them check the messages and all they got were 9’s…everyone who recvd the send help messages got the same thing…it all worked out and the vessel was found, comms were established via CG helo and the boat finally got 1 engine running and made it in safe…
SPOT tech called me back and said they have no reason for the error in the lat/long since the messages were sent, but apparently the unit or the satellite was unable to lock onto and fix a lat/long…
Mike Crouch
Sea Tow Charleston
843-881-8949
Sea School Charleston
843-747-1000
www.seatow.com
www.seaschool.com
Do you know if the SPOT device was sending correct lat/lon values for its other functions? E.g. track and OK?
Was the SPOT unit always sending '9’s with all messages or did it do it just when sending the ‘help’ message?
17’ Henry O Hornet
26’ Palmer Scott
According to the tech and dispatcher @ SPOT I spoke with, no “I’m OK” messages were sent and 7 “Send help” messages were sent in an hour period…only 2 out of 5 of the owners friends that received the “send help” messages called us and the Coasties…we and the CG could hear the vessel calling Sea Tow and the CG, but he could not hear us or the CG…the helo found the boat and had 2 way comms only when the helo was right on top of him…
on a side note…no float plan was done and only by chance, a friend stated that the owner was going to fish the Outcrop…the helo ran a LOP from the jetties to the Outcrop and found the boat underway on 1 engine…lucky by any means…
Mike Crouch
Sea Tow Charleston
843-881-8949
Sea School Charleston
843-747-1000
www.seatow.com
www.seaschool.com