Mick slipped on rocks while portaging his kayak around a nasty rapid, and broke both bones in his lower leg. The nearest road was at least 3 km away, over particularly rough ground. Phone coverage was nil, and wouldn’t be until you got to the road at best. Thus, given the terrain, a chopper was the only way out, and a PLB was the only option for contacting emergency services.

We set off the PLB immediately and sat tight, able to use the four non-injured in the party to keep him stable and engaged. We heard the happy sound of the helicopter a couple of hours later. A couple more hours and he was tucked up in hospital in Sydney. The rest of us enjoyed a shiver bivvy by the river and paddled out the next day.