Bushwalking is not intrinsically or statistically an unsafe activity… but every time a bushwalker goes missing, it results in extensive publicity and renewed discussion on how to prevent deaths, and avoid long and expensive searches. While no technology can compensate for experience and being prepared, carrying a PLB and/or satellite communicator (Garmin InReach being the most popular) can be the difference between life and death.
This guide compares the pros and cons of a PLB versus a satellite communication device (eg. InReach) – and also how to make sure you’re covered for the cost of an emergency rescue.
Is bushwalking a dangerous activity?
Bushwalking is generally a pretty safe recreational activity; while there is little empirical data in Australia, a recent study showed 18 hospitalisations per 100,000 participants – making bushwalking safer than playing golf or dancing, and much “safer” than rugby and soccer. Driving to the trailhead is far riskier than the bushwalk itself.
An older study focusing specifically on deaths reported between 2000 and 2019 reported a total of 32 deaths over 19 years, which equates to 1.6 deaths per year. A different report found 13 deaths in national parks between 2013 and 2018 – a slightly higher rate which includes tourists who fell off lookouts in search of the perfect selfie shot… Despite these very small numbers of injuries and fatalities, lost bushwalkers generate a lot of publicity which is often sustained over a week or more until they are found and creates a perception that bushwalking is far riskier than it actually is.
Yet injuries do occur when people are physically active, and these can be serious or fatal. In Australia, injury deaths in sport tend to gain considerable media and public attention.
Injury deaths in Australian sport and recreation: Identifying and assessing priorities for prevention
Many bushwalking fatalities could have been prevented through an emergency beacon or satellite communication device, which enables fast access to help. Roughly a third to half of bushwalking deaths fall in a category where a carried-and-activated device would plausibly have changed the outcome. (This of course doesn’t mean you shouldn’t also carry a first aid kit, map and compass – and know how to use them!)
Coronial cases divide bushwalking deaths into two mechanisms. Deaths from instantaneous trauma are generally not preventable by a device: in the December 2024 Federation Peak fatality, the group carried appropriate clothing, supplies and a PLB, and activated their beacons immediately — a helicopter arrived within about an hour — but the man had died in the fall. By contrast, deaths from exposure, heat stress, dehydration, becoming lost, or deterioration after a survivable injury are the “amenable” category — these deaths unfold over hours or days, and the killer is delayed notification.
Alistair Thomson on the Larapinta in 2024 is a classic example: he set off alone on May 13, was last heard from on May 21, and only then was a full-scale search launched — a week-long notification gap no searcher can overcome. In the same period, a Blue Mountains walker in near-identical circumstances survived acute renal failure because activating his PLB “almost certainly saved his life”.
PLB or InReach?
There any fundamentally two options (and everyone has an opinion which one is better!):
- Personal Locator Beacon or PLB (not an EPIRB which is the same basically the same device but for boats) which triggers a “one way” SOS alert when activated
- Satellite messenger which can send and receive text messages, share locations, and trigger emergency SOS signals – and requires a subscription fee.
The case for PLBs: They are much cheaper over a five-year period with only an upfront purchase cost, and the battery is designed to last 5-10 years without every needing to be re-charged. (In certain places – eg, the NSW TREK program – you can borrow them at no cost.) If triggered during an emergency, the signal goes directly to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Australia or relevant national emergency centre, which may result in a faster response. They also transmit distress signals at roughly 5 watts of power (significantly higher than the ~1.6 watts used by most satellite communicators) – which means they’re more effective under heavy tree cover or deep canyons.
The case for Satellite messengers: By having two-way communications, you”ll get a fairly quick confirmation of the SOS call via the device emergency centre (eg. Garmin Response Centre in Texas for InReach). You can also share details of the situation to help emergency responders – or even notify authorities or family of a delayed return.
| PLB | Satellite messenger | |
| Cost | Approx $400 up-front | From $400 + $14/month subscription ($1,400 – $4,000+ over 5 years) |
| Devices | GME Accusat MT610G ~$460 Ocean Signal RescueMe ~$540 | SPOT GEN 4 ~$310 Garmin InReach Mini 2 ~$680 Garmin InReach Mini 3 ~$900 iPhone 14+ mode.s Google Pixel 9+ models |
| Satellite Network | Most are multi-GNSS (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS) | Iridium Satellite Network (Garmin) Globalstar (iPhone & SPOT) |
| Battery Life | 5-10 years (24 hours once activated) | 4 days – 46 days if tracking function is on |
| Speed of response | Probably faster – SOS goes directly to national emergency centre | Possible slight delay as SOS is triaged by device response centre |
| Pros | Cheaper (up-front cost only) Better satellite coverage Stronger distress signal | Two-way messenging Quick verification of SOS alert Can also be used for route tracking |
| Cons | No messaging – one-way SOS only | Higher cost (device cost + subscription) May be slightly slower response |
Regardless of the device type, you need to keep it registered; for PLBs it’s via the AMSA Beacon Registration Portal – this only need to do this once, but you should update details of each trip. For a satellite communicator, registration is done as part of selecting a subscription plan. Without an active subscription, most non-PLB satellite communication devices will be completely useless…
On December 28, the same walker found de Plater lying face down near Alpha Moraine. Nearby were discarded boots, socks and a wet sleeping bag. The walker set off his emergency beacon and a rescue helicopter was dispatched. Police later recovered the body.
Coroner Madeleine Wilson found de Plater carried a Garmin Inreach Explorer Plus he had bought on eBay in November 2024. It had no active satellite subscription, so its SOS function did not work.
Pulse Tasmania
What’s the cost of a rescue?
It’s complicated – and it varies by state. Ambulance services sit outside Medicare in every Australian state and territory. Whether a rescued bushwalker pays anything — and how much — depends almost entirely on three things:
- which state the incident happens in
- whether the patient is a resident of that state, and
- whether they hold a state ambulance subscription or private health cover that includes ambulance benefits.
Australian ambulance fees are some of the highest in the world with the average cost of an ambulance being $915.25 (in 2025) – the second-highest ambulance fees out of seven countries which were analysed (including the UK, Japan, the USA, and Canada).
| State | Provider | Call-out fee (emergency) | Per-km rate | Typical/maximum bill | State subscription available? |
| NSW | NSW Ambulance | $464 (residents pay 51%; NSW Govt subsidises 49%) | $4.18/km | Capped at $7,601 | No — cover only via private health insurance |
| VIC | Ambulance Victoria | Not itemised as call-out + km | — | ~$1,400 metro, $2,000+ regional, up to $30,000 for helicopter | Yes — approx $50/yr single & $100/yr family |
| QLD | Queensland Ambulance Service | ~$1,550 flat rate (emergency) / ~$580 (non-emergency) | $2.35/km after 5km | ~$1,550 | No — cover only via private health insurance (not needed for residents) |
| WA | RAC Rescue / St John WA | RAC Rescue is free. Ambulance ~$1,300 (urgent) / ~$700 (non-urgent) | — | Up to ~$2,100 for non-residents for road ambulance | Regional/remote only: $64–$85 single/yr, $107–$141 family/yr |
| SA | SA Ambulance Service | ~$1,200 | $6.90/km | ~$1,200–$2,500+ | Yes — $103/yr (SA-only) to $121.60/yr (Aus-wide), single |
| TAS | Ambulance Tasmania | Free for residents; fee schedule for non-residents | ~$7.06/km beyond 15km (non-residents) | ~$1,692 average total for non-residents. ~$26,000 for helicopter. | No — cover only via private health insurance (not needed for residents) |
| NT | St John NT | ~$1,330 (life-threatening, first 10km) | $6.50/km beyond 10km | Uncapped | Yes — 1–3 yr subscriptions; short-term visitor cover also sold |
| ACT | ACT Ambulance Service | ~$1,100 | ~$14/km outside ACT | Confirm current rate with ACT Health | No — private health insurance only (often bundled as “NSW & ACT” cover) |
Making it even more complicated, in Victoria (where a helicopter rescue is billed at almost $30,000) you won’t be charged this fee if someone else called the ambulance without your knowledge or reasonable authorisation. And in WA the RAC Rescue helicopters provide a free 24/7 emergency rescue, while a road ambulance will cost up to ~$2,100 (for non-residents). Many states will waive fees for full time students and pensioners.
While hiking the Overland Track in Tasmania, Canberran Kayla Dempsey rolled her ankle and was rescued by emergency helicopter. Fourteen months later, she was surprised when opening the mail to find a bill for more than $45,000 from the Tasmanian government for the service.
Sydney Morning Herald (17 July 2024)
Avoiding a steep rescue bill!
There is no state-to-state reciprocity except for QLD residents (who are covered everywhere in Australia) and TAS residents (who are covered everywhere except SA and QLD). Every other interstate traveller and every overseas visitor pays the same full non-resident rate — private health insurance (or travel insurance for overseas visitors) is the only protection.
So unless you’re a Queenslander, you really have two options for ambulance cover:
- Private health insurance which includes ambulance cover (most policies have this, but check the basic policies)
- Ambulance Only cover from a private health insurer (national) or state-specific annual subscription from a local state ambulance authority.
| Insurer | Hospital cover | Extras-only cover | Geographic scope | Key exceptions |
| Medibank | Ambulance cover included on all Hospital, Extras and combined policies | Included | Australia-wide | Not payable for QLD/TAS residents (state already covers them) |
| Bupa | Covers emergency ambulance and on-the-spot treatment | “Ambulance Only” standalone product available | Australia-wide; non-emergency capped at $5,000/person/yr | Won’t pay if a state scheme, subscription, or another source covers it |
| HCF | Emergency ambulance included on all Hospital, Extras and combined policies | Full cover if NSW/ACT resident; limited to 1–2 claims/yr elsewhere | Australia-wide except QLD, SA, and WA-for-ACT-residents | Not needed/sold for QLD and TAS residents |
| nib | Unlimited emergency ambulance on almost all Hospital and Extras policies | Included on most Extras policies | Australia-wide | Excludes QLD/TAS residents and concession-card holders already covered by state scheme |
| HBF | Road ambulance included on all Hospital, Extras & Combined policies | Included (road only, not air/water) | Australia-wide (WA-founded insurer) | Standalone Urgent Ambulance / Ambulance Care products not sold to QLD, TAS, NSW or ACT residents |
| Australian Unity | Ambulance cover included on Hospital/Extras via relevant state levy or fund benefit | Included except in budget tiers | Australia-wide, with QLD/SA/WA-for-ACT gaps noted above | No standalone ambulance-only product |
Note that no domestic travel insurance provides cover ambulance for Australian residents in Australia.
References
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – Sports injury in Australia
- Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) – Our role in search and rescue
- Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) – Beacon Registration Portal
- Pulse Tasmania – Hiker dies of hypothermia carrying a beacon that couldn’t call for help
- NIB – Ambulance costs: how much are they?
- Compare the Market – Australian ambulance fees are some of the highest in the world, new report finds
- NPWS – Think Before you Trek
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