While hiking alone south along the Talgar River, Matthias Uhrlandt ran into dangerous terrain. Heavy rocks and boulders, loose sand and forceful river water were just a few of the elements fighting against Matthias. "After one day of constantly risking my life, I thought I reached a point of no return." Determined to continue on his way, Matthias trudged on, continuing his journey until he could go no farther. "I reached a big cliff, but without any equipment and a helping hand, it was absolutely impossible." Not being able to climb the difficult cliff or get to the other side of the river to safe land, Matthias was trapped.
Battling against some of nature's most brutal forces and having bloody battle wounds as proof, Matthias knew his best, and only, option was to press the SOS button on his SPOT GEN3 device. Within moments, the GEOS International Emergency Rescue Coordination Center (IERCC) was alerted and agents sprung in to action alerting Matthias' contacts and making rescue preparations.
After pressing the SOS button, Matthias made a last-minute decision to continue on his journey thinking he may be able to battle the terrain. He set his SPOT GEN3 device back in tracking mode which provided crucial information for the rescue team to be able to pass along to his loved ones. "I knew my parents were deeply worried. They knew about the SOS signal, but they didn't know I was healthy. Turning back the signal to tracking mode was the absolute right decision. From this moment, everyone knew that I was still alive and not badly injured."
After a couple of hours, the rescue team arrived. Matthias jumped in a rocky, shallow bed of water to be able to reach his rescuers. After assessing his injuries and giving him water, Matthias was finally safe. "I was saved. The SPOT GEN3 gave me hope in the darkest hour of my life."
Matthias will continue using the SPOT GEN3 on every trip or adventure he goes on in the future. He continues to recommend the SPOT GEN3 to his friends and family and feels that buying it was the "very right decision."