Greg Davidson, KF6CNS, recalls sitting in his garage with a friend in late March when a call for help came over on the 2-meter simplex calling frequency. Vincent LeVeque KF6FLJ had been hoping for a day of SOTA on Mt. Williamson in the Angeles National Forest when his hike ended in a 150-foot slide down the hillside and a bone-breaking crash into a tree. Vincent had dropped his mobile phone; his emergency beacon had little power remaining - but he was able to call for help on his handy talkie. Greg received that call 50 miles away thanks to a large commercial antenna at home. His immediate telephone outreach eventually led him to Will Richards KJ6JJB, operations leader of county sheriff's Montrose Search & Rescue. Will dispatched a helicopter and stayed on the phone with Greg who was maintaining radio contact with Vincent. Pinning down the location's coordinates precisely posed a challenge for the helicopter but Vincent was soon spotted, his bright orange windbreaker standing out against the snow.
Vincent told Newsline he was airlifted to the nearest trauma center for surgery on his femur and he is now recovering. He said Greg's attentiveness to the calling frequency that day may well have saved his life. Will quickly noted, however, that Vincent himself did some emergency preparedness too: the dashboard of his parked car held a map of his intended hiking route -- and another option to track him down. He said that both Vincent and Greg "did everything right."