A walker who sparked concern while on a long-distance trail has been found safe and well.
The 60-year-old was located near Barrisdale, on the Knoydart peninsula, after a friend reported not receiving confirmation messages that the man, undertaking the Cape Wrath Trail, was all right. The man, whose details are not being released by police, is continuing his journey.
Members of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team and a Sea King helicopter from HMS Gannet at Prestwick were involved in a search for the man yesterday, Sunday.
A spokesperson for the Northern Constabulary said: “Concerns had been raised due to the friend not receiving pre-organised automated messages from the walker.
“It has since been established that there was a fault in the equipment being used by the walker which meant that none of the messages were being transmitted as planned. At no time was he in any danger.”
Devices such as the SPOT combine a Global Positioning Receiver with a satellite transmitter, enabling both distress signals and ‘OK’ messages to be sent via satellite which then send text message to nominated friends or family. Alternatively, emails are sent with co-ordinates which allow the walker to be tracked using Google Maps.
The SPOT can be used where personal locator beacons are not licensed, such as in remote mountain and moorland areas.
The Cape Wrath Trail runs from Fort William to Cape Wrath in the North-West of Scotland. The route is almost 320km (200 miles) long and represents one of the toughest long-distance challenges in Britain, often crossing wild terrain where there is little accommodation.
It is not officially recognised as a long-distance trail and as such is not waymarked. The route is based on the book North to the Cape: A Trek from Fort William to Cape Wrath by Denis Brook and Phil Hinchliffe.
pete stuart
25 May 2009I have a spot too. I was in the Breacon Beacons this weekend. I sent an OK message on Saturday which was recieved all right. However the OK message I sent yesterday was never recieved by any of the nominated people.
Has anybody any ideas why not?
Tom
25 May 2009Hi,
It may be that there was a dearth of satellites covering that area at that particular time, or that where the gentleman was (in a glen, against a steep slope, or under tree cover) prevented access to the satellite. The satellite or satellites may have been temporarily saturated or under maintenance. Or, it may just be that his body was in the wrong place to access the satellite - or he doesn't fully know how to use it. The SPOT Messenger transmits only 400 mW - less than half a watt - so it doesn't take much to block it. It does illustrate that if trust is placed in these devices and they don't perform, we're back to square one and without a position. Unfortunately, in places like Knoydart, the mobile phone coverage is very patchy, so it is likely to be difficult to confirm receipt of the messages for some time. So maybe it is time for the UK to get a grip of its drip-dries and make like a more enlightened Ireland which has now decided to legalise PLB use on land. We should have legalised their use ten years ago. We are still lurching towards the light - too slowly.