Ham Radio Saves a Ham in Alaska
Two Alaskan hikers on a day outing in rugged mountains near Anchorage saw their afternoon turn into
something entirely unexpected February 12. One of them--Jesse Jones, KL1RK--slipped and fell more
than 200 feet down a steep ravine, losing his snowshoes in the process. Jones found himself trapped
between a low overhang on one side and a swift-moving stream on the other. Even worse was the fact
that his descent could continue into the water at any moment, and almost certain death from hypothermia.
With more than 10 feet on the ground, the loss of his snowshoes meant he could not walk out. On the plus
side, Jones had taken along his 2-meter handheld transceiver. After several unsuccessful tries, he finally
was able to access the wide-area WL7CVG repeater atop Mt Susitna, almost 40 miles distant. "As a
control operator for the repeater, I heard his weak 'Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!' call just a few minutes after
4 PM local time," reports Jim Wiley, KL7CC. "I immediately called 911 and was placed in contact with the
local fire department rescue coordinator. I was able to pass on Jesse's messages to the local rescue
coordinator, including coordinates from a GPS unit he was carrying." Wiley says the rescue coordinator's
office called out the local mountain rescue group and the Alaska State Troopers, who immediately left for
the scene. The rescue team met with Jones's climbing partner, who had been able to hike out to a place
where he could assist the rescuers. Jones was able to keep in touch via 2 meters to report his condition,
but his signal into the repeater was marginal. Although uninjured, the sub-zero cold was numbing his
extremities to the point that he was having trouble operating his transceiver. Unable to execute the rescue
themselves, the team called an Air National Guard unit, which flew a helicopter to the scene. While the
presence of high-voltage power lines just above Jones' position complicated matters, the chopper was
able to lower some para-rescue jumpers to a nearby location, from which they could rappel to his position
and, after a few hours, extricate him. Briefly hospitalized for a checkup, Jones was released just before
midnight, cold and a bit hungry, but otherwise okay. Wiley says several local hams also assisted the
effort, either directly or by their connection with local emergency service groups. Additional details of the
rescue and photos are available on the ARRL Web site
http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2005/02/24/1/
(ARRL LETTER via eham.net)
Foundation For Amateur Radio solicits scholarship applications
The Foundation for Amateur Radio Inc (FAR), a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, DC,
plans to administer more than 55 scholarships for the 2005-2006 academic year to assist radio amateurs.
Awards range from $500 to $2500. Comprised of approximately 50 member organizations, FAR fully funds
several of these scholarships with income from grants and the annual F.A.R.Fest. FAR administers the
remaining grants without cost to the donors. FAR invites Amateur Radio licensees planning to pursue a
full-time course of study beyond high school and now enrolled in or accepted for enrollment at an
accredited university, college or technical school to compete for these scholarships. Preference in some
cases goes to residents of specific geographical areas or to those pursuing certain programs of study.
Additional information and an application form is available by sending a letter or QSL card postmarked
prior to April 30, 2005, to FAR Scholarships, PO Box 831, Riverdale, MD 20738. The Foundation for
Amateur Radio is an exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.
It is devoted exclusively to promoting the interests of Amateur Radio and those scientific, literary and
educational pursuits that advance the purposes of the Amateur Radio Service.
FREE 10-Week General Class
Tuesday nights, 6:30 to 9:30 PM at the Historical
Electronics Museum starting March 22. Open to the
public.No age limit. Morse Code instruction at 5 wpm
for those who want it. FCC exam given on last day of
class. Register, call Rol Anders: 410-765-7279 (work)
or cell: 410-736-9792. roland.anders@ngc.com
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