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Scotland SOS heard in Texas
A Sunderland businessman was saved after his SOS signal from the Scottish mountains was picked up in America.
Niels Vinther, managing director of Grundfos Manufacturing, in Castletown, suffered acute abdominal pains while on a solo coast-to-coast walk in the Highlands.
The 60-year-old, originally from Denmark, had the world's first emergency satellite messenger system, manufactured by Spot, when he was stranded in Glen Etive, near Fort William.
Niels sent a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) text, which was picked up in Houston, Texas.
His plea for help triggered an international rescue mission spanning almost 10,000 miles via global satellites.
And within hours Niels was saved, becoming the first stranded adventurer to use the new emergency message system in Europe.
Niels is today recovering in Belford Hospital, Fort William, where his condition was described as "comfortable."
His family said he was he was undergoing scans and may return home in the next few days.
The multinational, inter-agency rescue began at 3am on Monday, while Niels was taking part in the annual TGO Challenge, in which participants take up to 15 days to walk across Scotland from west to east.
He activated the Spot device a message detailing his location was sent to relatives, colleagues and the GEOS emergency response centre in Texas, which co-ordinates worldwide rescues.
The text read: "Help message. I'm immobilised but okay and cannot reach you by phone. Find GEOS on Google map and send help."
Controllers alerted Northern Constabulary's Fort William Police Station, 15 miles from where the walker was located.
Officers contacted Northern's force operations centre in Inverness for clarification before the RAF Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre at Kinloss, in Moray, was contacted.
The RAF team, who co-ordinate the UK's search and rescue helicopters, scrambled a Royal Navy Sea King from Prestwick.
Rescue coordinator, Flight Sergeant Tim Dickinson, said, "This was a perfect example of excellent cooperation between the police at Fort William and the military search and rescue services.
"We have rescued a Danish tourist in the Scottish mountains following an emergency call from the USA, using a Royal Navy helicopter and coordinated by the Royal Air Force."
A spokeswoman for Grundfos Manufacturing, where Mr Vinther works, said: "Niels took ill during the night whilst on his TGO Challenge Walk.
"As he was out of range to make telephone calls he activated his Spot satellite tracking device.
"He stated he was taken aback when the helicopter arrived overhead and feels they did a sterling job, absolutely brilliant.
"All praise to the rescue service. He is currently in hospital undergoing tests and is comfortable."
Spot is the first device of its kind, using the GPS satellite network to acquire coordinates and a commercial satellite network to send out locations.
Greg Tees, from manufacturer Spot Europe said: "It is heart-warming to know that Spot played a major part in saving this man's life."
The 149 device has previously been activated in America, Canada, the North Pole and on one occasion when a kayaker encountered difficulties off the coast of Tasmania.
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Weather for Sunderland
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Light sleet showers
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South
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Sunny spells
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