September 30, 2025 25-591 25-39

PLB Activation, White Mountains near Barcroft Station

At 1622 hours the Team was called by the Mono County Sheriff’s Office for a Garmin InReach activation in the White Mountains, with the coordinates pinging at the locked gate on the road to the Barcroft Research Station. Rescue base was established at the coordinates, and the Team responded with our first-out vehicle, Rescue 3, as well as Rescue 2 towing the 4x4 Ranger.

As the Team was in transit, they received multiple updates with repeated SOS activations from the same device. Little information was known, other than that it was part of a large group (~20 people), as the two-way capable device went unanswered.

Roughly 45 minutes into the two-hour approach, the Team was canceled after the Sheriff’s Office Deputy SAR Coordinator on duty determined the activations to be false and accidental.

The operation was terminated at 1740 hours.

IC: Belcher Ops: Haugh Responders: Bush, Case, Huizingh, Knight, Lipman