POTA to the rescue

 

An otherwise normal POTA/SOTA operation from Diamond Head Hawaii State Park turned into a 911 emergency rescue when Mike (KH6ML) discovered an injured hiker on the park's popular trail.

In this video, Mike (KH6ML) shows us how Amateur Radio emergency communications averted a near tragedy.

If you can't see the video please insert this title URL into your browser search box:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GO4as2CSvc

Thanks for joining us today.

Russ Roberts (KH6JRM).

Here are some comments from Mike (KH6ML):

What started as a morning ham radio activation at Diamond Head quickly turned into a 911 call, an emergency response, and a helicopter arriving at the summit. I want to start by recognizing the professionalism of the 911 dispatchers and Honolulu Fire Department personnel involved in this incident. From the initial 911 call through multiple follow-up calls, the dispatchers were calm, clear, and focused on getting accurate information to the responding crews. When Honolulu firefighters reached the summit, they immediately took control of the situation, assessed the patient, coordinated additional resources, and worked through the difficult logistics of getting someone safely out of the Diamond Head bunker. Their response was impressive to watch firsthand. My original plan that morning was much simpler. At about 7:15 a.m., I started hiking the Diamond Head Summit Trail on Oahu to complete both a Parks on the Air (POTA) and Summits on the Air (SOTA) amateur radio activation. I was activating: POTA: US-6425 — Diamond Head State Preserve US-10913 — Diamond Head Summit State Trail SOTA: KH6/OH-025 — Diamond Head Everything I needed fit into a small backpack: a 20-watt FX-4CR HF radio, Bioenno battery, end-fed wire antenna, lightweight mast, and an AnyTone VHF/UHF handheld. After completing my 11th contact, a man approached me and asked if I was a first responder. A woman visiting from Japan had collapsed inside the bunker below the summit. I grabbed my handheld radio, called 911, and headed down to help. Because I wasn't sure whether I would maintain reliable cell service inside the bunker, I also advised amateur radio operators I had been communicating with to stand by in case an additional communications path was needed. The woman's husband and adult daughter were with her. I gathered basic information and relayed it to 911 while we waited for emergency personnel to make the climb. We were also incredibly fortunate that a paramedic and firefighter visiting from Ontario, Canada, happened to be nearby and stepped in to assist. When the Honolulu Fire Department arrived, the firefighters quickly took over. More personnel and equipment followed, and eventually a helicopter arrived as part of the response. Watching those crews work in the steep terrain and confined spaces of Diamond Head gave me an even greater appreciation for what our emergency responders do. Later, I walked down the trail with the woman's daughter and helped her reconnect with her family and the emergency personnel below. That afternoon, I received a message from the family letting me know that her mom was doing okay. Did amateur radio make a difference that morning? Maybe. So did CERT training, Red Cross training, Scouts, emergency communications experience, and lessons learned over many years. But probably the biggest lesson was simply this: Be prepared, communicate clearly, and be willing to help when someone needs it. I went up Diamond Head looking for radio contacts. The most important contact I made that morning wasn't on the radio. Aloha and 73, Michael Miller, KH6ML #HamRadio #POTA #SOTA #DiamondHead #KH6ML #AmateurRadio #Hawaii #HonoluluFireDepartment #EmergencyCommunications

Ask

Get answers, explore topics, and more

Featured places

Diamond Head State Monument

Monument

4.7

(17K)

Transcript

Follow along using the transcript.

Michael KH6ML

761 subscribers

Videos

About