A series of frightening incidents in which travellers have been stranded in the desert has led to calls for it to become mandatory to carry satellite phones while in remote country.
Between 10,000 and 15,000 four-wheel-drive enthusiasts reportedly cross the Simpson Desert every tourist season, many with little more than a UHF line-of-sight radio … and Birdsville policeman, Stephan Pursell, says something has to change.
He told the Australian newspaper that there were lot of people out there who weren’t prepared for the trip, and so there were compelling reasons to demand they carried satellite phones.
“What we think is prepared and what they think is prepared are sometimes different things,” he told the Australian. “From my point of view, from what I’ve seen here, I’d certainly like to see (satellite phones be mandatory) … it’s probably more valid at this time of year.”
Constable Pursell said the risks of a breakdown becoming a tragedy rise with the temperatures towards the end of the tourist season, when there are fewer people crossing the desert to help anyone who breaks down.
The Australian reports that there is no mobile phone service in the desert, so once rescuers and recovery service operators leave town, they’re effectively entering a blackout zone.
A satellite phone can currently be hired from the Mount Dare Hotel at the South Australian end of the Simpson, for $160 for four days, with calls costing $3 a minute to anywhere in Australia or $1 a text. The phones are collected in Birdsville.
The Birdsville Roadhouse offers a vehicle recovery service for people who break down in the desert with costs starting at about $440 an hour. It’s not unusual for a recovery bill to reach $10,000.
Birdsville Roadhouse operator Peter Barnes told the Australian that every breakdown case was a bit different but outcomes were vastly improved when travellers had a satellite phone.
“If we’re really lucky they have a sat phone so we can talk to them … we can find out what’s going on, how serious it is and then we plan what we’re going to do,” he said. “I don’t know about making them compulsory, but it’s bloody handy if they’ve got one!”
It is dangerous to give false hope to say sat phones are the miracle saviour. We have sat phones at work for working in very remote regions and they are often useless, just will not get a signal. Do not rely on sat phones ever.
Best chance of survival give your expected arrival date to arrival or departure contacts. Have plenty of food and water stay with vehicle. Vehicles are very easy to spot from the air, and underneath a vehicle is great shade and stops a lot of heat even more cool if you dig a hole under vehicle
Sat Phones can be handy but what is really needed before heading off to remote or less travelled areas are Personal locator beacons (PLB’s). they are available at many camping outlets with prices starting from just under $200 – cheap guaranteed protection.
Their are more ways than a sat phone to provide safety. Sat phones can also be unreliable with connectivity not always available. HF radio is also another option and in my opinion a better one. A sat phone will only contact the number you call. A HF radio has the potential to connect with anyone who happens to be on channel and is within range as well as allow contact with the preferred HF radio club so to mandate the Sat phone must be carried when one has alternative means of communication is just wrong.
How many of the 10,000+ people that constable Pursell says crosses the Simpson desert actually need help ? Why hasn’t Constable Pursell’s boss the Commissioner of Queensland Police called for Sat phones instead of leaving it up to a constable to make the call.
When we were crossing the Simpson Desert we came across two guys sitting in their underwear under bushes trying to keep cool. Had no water. They thought they’d just go for a short ride but their bikes couldn’t make it over the sand dunes and were constantly bogged. Ran out of fuel and were stranded. We gave them water and food but we didn’t have fuel. Let the police know where they were and they came out and got them. They hadn’t told anyone where they were going so no one knew they were missing. Before any outback trips it pays to do research and make sure you are prepared for any emergencies.
hi Lewis you are spot on.
I have h.f. radio fitted member v.k.s.737. radio group also u f h radio.
Also carry personal emergency beacon .I.log on with vks.morning and
evening always good to keep in touch
Some of them are flat out carrying water, how would you get them to carry a Sat Phone.
You can legislate as much as you want but you can’t protect idiots from themselves. Make sat phones mandatory, but they didn’t know! Why is it that people seem to think that legislating against idiots is the way to protect the vast majority of responsible travellers.
I have one , wouldn’t be without it. Might save our lives one day. $1100.00 plus $15 per mth for service ANYWHERE.PEACE OF MIND
Wouldn’t leave home without one. As important as an Epirb. Have all emergency numbers stored and local police in the areas we are travelling. May not only save your life but save others that you come across that are in trouble. Is great to be able to talk to emergency services and give on the spot information as they will already have your position because of your activated beacon.