Garmin has released its 2023 Inreach SOS Report highlighting trends involving SOS incidents reported to Garmin Response℠ during the past calendar year. As a global leader in two-way satellite communication, Garmin inReach technology is available on a wide variety of devices and can help individuals stay in touch globally with two-way text
messaging, location tracking, and critical SOS emergency response services.
Key Takeaways
Here are some key takeaways from the 2023 report:
- SOS-triggered responses varied from local emergency services on major interstate highways to highly technical helicopter rescues. They came from locations on six continents, including nearly 100 countries, and in three oceans.
- Individuals activated an SOS the most during hiking/backpacking activities, followed by driving and motorcycle incidents.
- Many SOS incidents were for the actual inReach user; however, over one-half were for a user’s party member or third-party individual.
- With their inReach devices, as supported by the professionally trained Garmin Response staff, inReach users were able to self-rescue nearly 10% of the time.
SOS Activity Graph
It is interesting to note that skiing only makes up a small portion of the graph whereas hiking and backpacking take up the most. We assume that this is due to the low barriers to entry involved with hiking.
SOS Reason Graph
We assume that the “Others” category revolves around running out of beer out in the wilderness….
SOS Party Graph
This graph details who needed emergency help when the SOS signal was sent. It is important to note that third-party calls are growing, so it is important to keep a Garmin InReach with you for personal safety, the safety of your group, and also for others!
Stay Safe.
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Committed to developing products that enhance experiences, enrich lives, and help provide peace of
mind, Garmin believes every day is an opportunity to innovate and a chance to beat yesterday. We believe that having a Garmin SOS and GPS device is imperative for any sort of backcountry adventure and we stand by their products.
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