Radio hams come to rescue

 A FAMILY left stranded when their car skidded off a country road were rescued thanks to the quick thinking of two amateur radio enthusiasts.

Unable to get a mobile phone signal anywhere near the scene of the accident, radio ham Barry Horning sent out a call for help over the airwaves. His plea for medical assistance for the injured female driver was picked up almost 20 miles away in Longmorn by fellow enthusiast Jon Coulter.

The pair were delighted that their hobby was able to play such a pivotal role in the rescue of the family, and succeeded where mobile technology failed.

Mr Coulter said: "It's certainly been one of the most interesting things that's happened, but as Barry said to me, it just goes to show the power of amateur radio.

"They were lucky that Barry came along when he did because it certainly helped the emergency services to get there as quickly as they could."

The drama unfolded last Friday morning when Mr Horning came across the couple and their three children and the wreck on the B9009 Dufftown-Tomintoul road.

Mr Horning, who lives in Tomintoul, was travelling away on holiday and, as many other enthusiasts do, had his radio gear in the car with him.

The female driver had sustained chest injuries and was bleeding, and her partner was desperately trying to raise help on his mobile phone without success.

It was then that Mr Horning came up with the idea of using his radio. Mr Coulter said: "I was sitting at home when I heard Barry call out with his call name on the local repeater. Basically, there are repeaters dotted all around the country: it boosts your signal and it's got a wider coverage.

A plea for help over the radio airwaves was answered by Jon Coulter, who was able to alert the emergency services to a car smash in a remote part of Speyside. NS

"I went back to him with my call sign, and he asked me to get the emergency services. It caused a little bit of confusion when I got through to the police. I told them the accident was on the Dufftown-Tomintoul road, and they wondered how I knew about it when I was in Longmorn.

"A few minutes later, the ambulance phoned me and asked if I could help with a more specific location, so I got back on the radio and was able to relay the information coming from Barry.

"The ambulance crew seemed pretty impressed. It saved them a lot of time driving about trying to find the location when we could tell them exactly where it was.

"I haven't spoken to Barry since because he's away on holiday, so I haven't heard what happened after that. I don't know who was involved in the accident, but I hope they were all okay."

Mr Coulter has been licensed to use radios for the past four years. While radios may seem a little old fashioned in today's hi-tech age, the technology is more advanced than many would think.

"I would thoroughly recommend it as a hobby, as we talk to people all over the world and I make regular contacts with radio amateurs in the United States. It's a really interesting hobby, and we're always keen for more people to get involved," said Mr Coulter.

Source:  The Northern Scot (Reproduced with permission from author - Leanne Carter)

Amateur Radio In Disaster Management, HAM Radio, Amateur Radio, HAMS, Disaster Management, Rescue & Relief 

HAM means <-> Help All Mankind

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